Saffie Osborne's record St Leger win ends fear of failure
Saffie Osborne became the first woman to win a British flat racing classic, with Princess Anne saying 'about time' as she presented the trophy.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Saffie Osborne has spoken about her historic victory in Saturday's St Leger, becoming the first woman ever to win a British flat racing classic. The 24-year-old jockey said the win, in the oldest classic race, has ended her fear of failure and fulfilled a childhood dream.
Osborne rode Highwayman to victory at Doncaster in front of a crowd of around 30,000. She described the moment as an 'out of body experience', with the noise of the crowd flooding in as she crossed the line. Princess Anne, herself a former eventing champion, presented the trophy and told her: '250 years, about time.'
Before turning to flat racing, Osborne was a successful eventing rider, winning medals for Great Britain and coming close to an Olympic place. She chose to become a jockey instead, but bad falls and near misses made her question whether she could make it. Now she says that doubt has gone.
'It has been a male dominated sport for an extremely long time,' she said, 'and I suppose it's becoming less and less of a conversation, which is quite nice.' In the 250 years that the British classics have been run, only a handful of female jockeys have taken part. Osborne hopes her win will open more doors, but insists she is not viewed differently within the industry.
The BBC understands that only six female jockeys had previously ridden in the British classics, with a combined total of 13 rides. For Osborne, this victory is a life changer; for racing, it has the potential to be a game changer.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| Only six female jockeys have been given rides in the British classics in 250 years. | |
| Osborne was the first woman to win a British flat racing classic. | |
| Princess Anne responded with a message indicating the win was long overdue. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This segment focuses on Osborne's personal response to her historic win, including her 'out of body experience' and the significance of Princess Anne's comment. It provides the broader context of her career switch from eventing and the historical lack of female riders in the classics, quoting Osborne on how the sport is becoming less male-dominated.
- “She said 250 years, about time, which was really nice because Princess Anne herself was an amazing horsewoman.”
- “I think that sort of fear of failure has sort of disappeared after Saturday.”
- “It has been a male dominated sport for an extremely long time and I suppose it's becoming less and less of a conversation.”
This segment offers a slightly more concise version of the same report, but includes a different historical note: it says seven female jockeys have ridden in the classics, totalling 13 rides, and describes the St Leger as the world's oldest classic. It retains all the key quotes from Osborne and Princess Anne, but places slightly more emphasis on the race's age and the broader historical context.
- “She said 250 years, about time.”
- “I think that sort of fear of failure has sort of disappeared after Saturday”
- “It has been a male dominated sport for an extremely long time and I suppose it's becoming less and less of a conversation, which is quite nice”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.