Saffie Osborne© Photo Healy Racing
Saffie Osborne once again took the starring role in the Racing League as a final night treble at Southwell ensured a third successive top jockey trophy.
Having helped her father Jamie Osborne’s Wales & The West region claim the Racing League title with a three-timer at the concluding fixture at Newcastle in 2022, she led the standings from start to finish as she defended her crown in style 12 months ago.
Her quest for a third title has not been as straightforward, but she headed into the final week of six in her usual spot at the top of the jockeys’ table and that was where she remained after laying down a marker in the first two races of the night in Nottinghamshire.
After guiding Ian Williams’ Dancing In Paris and Edward Smyth-Osbourne’s Noodle Mission to success, she then showed her style and strength to pick up her third victory aboard Ed Walker’s Fantasy Believer, a win which was enough to secure top spot before the final race of the competition.
Chasing duo Billy Loughnane and Daniel Muscutt both registered victories on the card, but neither could wrestle away Osborne’s supremacy to signal a double celebration for the family.
She said: “I thought all my rides tonight had nice chances without being certainties. I thought I would be lucky to come here and have three winners, but it was probably what was going to be needed looking at Danny and Billy’s rides. I’m just lucky it fell right on the night.
“It’s one of those games where some days you can turn up to the races with great rides and it all goes wrong, then some days you get lucky and today was one of those days.
“The Racing League has been brilliant for me and maybe not so much this year as I’m riding for trainers I ride for anyway, but definitely as an apprentice I was riding for trainers I didn’t necessarily ride for and built relationships on the back of that.
“For this competition to be on ITV every week is brilliant, it’s a competition that has done a lot for me and I’m eternally grateful.
“It’s cool and it’s easy for me to say this competition is great, but it’s a brilliant concept and people want to knock it for the sake of it, but it brings great prize-money to meetings that wouldn’t normally have it for that grade of horse.
“I’m especially happy for dad, it’s all he talks about for six weeks of the year. He puts his life and soul into it and when he rings me, I’m thinking ‘please don’t talk to me about Racing League’ as he rings me most days to talk about what he is thinking of running and my opinion. I’m just glad I don’t have to have any more phonecalls this year talking Racing League.”
Her proud father added: “Obviously she has got an advantage, Jack Mitchell pointed that out to me this morning and I suggested that maybe Philip Mitchell should become a team manager next year.
“It’s inevitable I am going to attempt to win it for her as well and thankfully all of the trainers in my team are happy to use Saffie and it’s great for her. It’s financially rewarding for her and it’s also financially rewarding for our stable staff.”
