Saffie Osborne makes history with first Classic win for a woman in St Leger

Saffie Osborne became the first woman to win a British Classic when she rode Highwayman to victory in the St Leger at Doncaster on 12 September. Reuters

The St Leger is one of British Flat racing’s five Classics. Classics are the sport’s top races for three-year-olds, run over different distances through the summer, and the Leger is the longest test of stamina among them.

The history books show how steep the climb has been. Only seven women have ridden in British Classics in 250 years, sharing 13 rides in total, according to the National Horseracing Museum. BBC Thirteen rides in 250 years. Osborne has now turned one of them into a win.

Osborne grew up in Lambourn in West Berkshire, a village built around racing yards and early-morning gallops. She later left home to base herself in Newmarket, the Suffolk town that is the headquarters of Flat racing in Britain. She has credited that move with helping her take the next step.

Settling in was not simple. Osborne said she stayed with retired jockey Hayley Turner when she first arrived in Newmarket, and thanked Turner for giving her a roof over her head. BBC

She now rides predominantly for trainer Richard Spencer, who is based in Newmarket. The trainer provides most of her rides, the day-to-day work of schooling mornings, travelling to meetings and building partnerships with horses.

Osborne comes from racing stock. She is the daughter of a former top jumps jockey, and learned the weighing-room life early. That background means long days, heavy bags and the grind of trying to secure good rides.

What makes this stand out is the ordinariness behind it. A spare room. A new town. A yard that kept giving her chances. For fans, this means a first. A woman’s name is now on the roll of honour for a British Classic.