At Doncaster, Saffie Osborne rode into a place in British racing history on Saturday 12 September 2026, becoming the first female jockey to win a British Classic. The 24-year-old guided Highwayman to victory in the 250th Betfred St Leger, one of Britain’s five Classics and among the country’s most prestigious races.
Highwayman, trained by Joseph O’Brien, headed a 1-2 for the trainer. Enceladus finished second, while Amelia Earhart took third.
The result carries particular weight because the St Leger has been run for 250 years. Osborne’s success ended a barrier that had stood throughout the race’s history and marked a watershed for women riding at the highest level of British racing.
Osborne, a former eventer, said after the race: “I definitely didn't have this on the bingo card for this week!”
Her victory with Highwayman places her in the record of the British Classics, with the St Leger providing the setting for a first that had eluded female jockeys across the race’s long history.
The achievement came in a race whose standing rests both on its place among Britain’s five Classics and on the length of its history. The 250th running gave the occasion an added sense of continuity, with Osborne’s victory adding a new first to that record.
For Osborne, the result was the defining outcome of the day at Doncaster. At 24, and with a background as an eventer, she became the first woman to take a British Classic aboard Highwayman.
Joseph O’Brien’s training operation supplied the first two horses home. Highwayman finished ahead of Enceladus to complete the trainer’s 1-2, while Amelia Earhart followed in third.
Osborne’s reaction suggested the scale of the moment had come as a surprise even to the rider herself. Her words after the race captured an achievement that had not previously been recorded in a British Classic.
Highwayman’s victory will therefore stand as the result of the 250th Betfred St Leger, and as the race in which Osborne became the first female jockey to win one of Britain’s Classics.
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