Whirlwhind year from Wolverhampton to Hong Kong for Leger heroine Osborne

Classic success resulted in contract to ride at high-profile meeting for outstanding female jockey

Saffie Osborne’s year began with a ride on a 150-1 chance in a race worth £7,000 at Wolverhampton on 6 January, when she trailed in last of the seven runners. Its final chapter will open on Sunday in the decidedly glitzier surroundings of Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong, where Osborne has 10 rides on an 11-race card, and the 10 months in between have been transformational for the 24-year-old jockey.

A first top-10 finish in the Flat jockeys’ championship was the reward for Osborne’s consistency throughout the May-to-October title race, but the undoubted highlight was her victory on Highwayman victory in the St Leger in September. It was Osborne’s first Group One win, and also the first for a female jockey in a British Classic.