Saffron ‘Saffie’ Osborne is, of course, the daughter of National Hunt jockey-turned-trainer Jamie Osborne and, in recent seasons, has found fame as the ‘Queen of the Racing League’. On September 15, 2022, she rode a 6,539/1 treble in the final round of the six-week series, sponsored by William Hill, to win the £20,000 leading jockey award. At that point, she said, ‘I’d never even ridden a treble before, so to get a £20,000 bonus on top of it is quite nice.’
Two months later, on November 16, 2022, Osborne rode out her remaining 3lb claim, courtesy of the two-year-old Monopolise, trained by Ed Walker, in a nursery handicap at Kempton. In her first season as a fully-fledged professional, she picked up where she left off when the Racing League kicked off again at Yarmouth on July 27, 2023, partnering winners Chinese Knot (11/2), Stone Circle (17/2) and Alnilam (9/4) for another 200/1 treble. Just over two weeks later, she also played a starring role, alongside Hollie Doyle and Hayley Turner, in the winning ‘Girls’ team on Shergar Cup Day at Ascot on his first appearance in the event.
Saffie Osborne rode her first winner on the Flat, the two-year-old Hot Scoop, trained by her father, in a novice stakes race, over six furlongs, at Windsor on July 27, 2020. The following October, she was hospitalised have suffered multiple injuries, including a broken arm and ribs, in a fall at the same course. However, having ridden nine winners in her first season, she increased her seasonal tally to 40 in 2021, finishing second behind Marco Ghiani in the apprentices’ championship, and again, to 46, in 2022. In 2023, so far, she has ridden 52 winners from 459 rides at a strike rate of 11%.