Latest news with #SaffieOsborne
Powys County Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Heart Of Honor takes fifth place as Journalism lands Preakness
Saffie Osborne's bid for Preakness Stakes glory aboard Heart Of Honor ended in disappointment as Journalism claimed a dramatic race at Pimlico. Trained by her father Jamie, Heart Of Honor was twice a winner at Meydan during the winter months and tackled the second leg of the American Triple Crown after being beaten just a nose in last month's UAE Derby. Having her first ride in America, Osborne's mount slightly missed the break and raced towards the rear throughout the extended nine-furlong contest as Clever Again set the early pace, with Heart Of Honor eventually staying on at the finish to come home in fifth place. Journalism meanwhile was bidding to improve on his second place in the Kentucky Derby but it looked as though jockey Umberto Rispoli was not going to get a run at the top of the straight as Goal Oriented edged towards the rails and blocked his path. Rispoli's mount was sandwiched between that horse and Clever Again on the inside, but Journalism managed to regain his balance after getting a hefty bump before flying down the outside to deny Gosger on the line, with Sandman back in third. The winning jockey, who previously rode in his native Italy before moving to America, told NBC: 'I don't know if people realise what this horse did today, I got in trouble at the quarter pole and he made himself go again. It's all about him – it's a pleasure to ride a horse like him. 'I was in a tough spot (at the top of the straight) but it's unbelievable.' Winning trainer Michael McCarthy added: 'There was a lot of bouncing around there. I guess when I saw that I kind of resigned myself to the fact it was another fantastic effort and we'd maybe come up a little bit short, but it's testament to this horse. I couldn't be prouder of him. 'In the back of my mind I thought we would be two for two here, but (we) just happened to get one of these and they're very, very difficult races to win.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The British woman aiming to upset the Americans and win £1m in Preakness Stakes
Saffie Osborne is embodying the spirit of adventure that racing needs this weekend. The 23-year-old Briton will bid to win £1 million on Saturday night as she becomes only the fourth female to ride in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the United States Triple Crown. Fresh from her last-gasp win in last week's Victoria Cup on 22-1 shot Hickory at Ascot, Osborne will be riding Heart Of Honor at Pimlico in Maryland – a horse trained by her father Jamie. Advertisement After the Lambourn trainer's Toast Of New York finished runner-up in a three-way photo for the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2014, the locals will be wary about underestimating the first European runner in 150 editions of the race. It appears the owners of Heart Of Honor, Jim and Claire Bryce, have already done their hosts a favour by spelling the dirt-bred colt's name the American way but, originally bought to give them a bit of winter entertainment in Dubai, he has already met that goal by winning two at Meydan and finishing second in three others, including in the UAE Derby, beaten a nose by the Japanese horse Admire Daytona. Osborne rode a 22-1 winner at Ascot last week so heads across the Atlantic in form - PA/Nick Potts 'We reckoned we couldn't beat Charlie Appleby on turf in Dubai so we came up with the idea to buy a few dirt horses for Jim and Claire,' says Jamie Osborne, taking up the story. 'The motivation for buying was not to go for Preakness, it was to compete on dirt in Dubai in winter. We did not set out with the idea of 'US Triple Crown, here we come'. But no one needs a racehorse, so part of my job as a trainer is to entertain. Advertisement 'I still have very happy memories of the Breeders' Cup Classic, even though we were second. Our chances? In football terms you'd love to be somewhere near the goal-line, I'm not sure we're even in the box, but sometimes goals get scored from there. It's very hard to know how we stack up against the US horses. 'A bit like when we ran Toast in the Classic, as a trainer trying something different, the first wish is that you're not a million miles wrong and it's not an embarrassment. Do I think [an embarrassment] that's possible? Anything is possible, I think it's unlikely. 'Do I think we can win the Preakness? No. But I believe there's a chance he could cause an upset in the same way I believed Toast could – and he nearly did. I'm not sure what I consider par. What I know is this is an exciting adventure for us and the Bryces. The horse has been the driver. Clearly, there's no point in running him in Europe, he's an out-and-out dirt horse. Alternative? There wasn't one.' Watch: Toast Of New York (white silks, black cap) finishes second at 2014 Breeders' Cup The Kentucky Derby has been a proverbial graveyard for UAE Derby winners, hence why Osborne opted to run at Preakness instead. 'It would have been too soon and why go and take on 20 in a race, which would be a bit alien to what he's been doing when two weeks later you could run against a smaller field [nine runners] and benefit from the extra time, it made more sense,' he says. Advertisement 'Toast won the UAE Derby on Tapeta, it wasn't a dirt track. His first run on dirt was in the Classic. This horse has only run on dirt apart from his first start at Southwell. There are similarities between the two horses; physically, they're both massive. From what I can see the good dirt horses look like four-wheel drive trucks: huge back ends, huge strong hips and hind legs. They have to be relentless and tough. 'When we went to the Classic with Toast, there wasn't a lot in his pedigree to say he'd go on dirt, but he had a proper dirt horse's physique, had thrived through the middle part of his three-year-old career and by the time we got to Santa Anita he was an incredible specimen. To my mind, Heart Of Honor has done his maturing a tiny bit earlier. He's changed out of all recognition from February. He's a spectacular-looking horse with strength now that he didn't have at the start of the year.' Ultimately, Osborne is aiming Heart Of Honor for much bigger prizes than the £1 million on offer to the winner, which is chicken feed in comparison to the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup. 'That's the master plan and if I thought this was at all detrimental to that, we wouldn't be doing it,' says the trainer. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
NBC Sports
17-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Osbornes daring to dream at the Preakness
Jamie and Saffie Osborne may jab each other off the track, but this father-daughter, trainer-jockey duo is in tune heading into the Preakness Stakes.
Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
The British woman aiming to upset the Americans and win £1m in Preakness Stakes
Saffie Osborne is embodying the spirit of adventure that racing needs this weekend. The 23-year-old Briton will bid to win £1 million on Saturday night as she becomes only the fourth female to ride in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the United States Triple Crown. Fresh from her last-gasp win in last week's Victoria Cup on 22-1 shot Hickory at Ascot, Osborne will be riding Heart Of Honor at Pimlico in Maryland – a horse trained by her father Jamie. After the Lambourn trainer's Toast Of New York finished runner-up in a three-way photo for the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2014, the locals will be wary about underestimating the first European runner in 150 editions of the race. It appears the owners of Heart Of Honor, Jim and Claire Bryce, have already done their hosts a favour by spelling the dirt-bred colt's name the American way but, originally bought to give them a bit of winter entertainment in Dubai, he has already met that goal by winning two at Meydan and finishing second in three others, including in the UAE Derby, beaten a nose by the Japanese horse Admire Daytona. 'We reckoned we couldn't beat Charlie Appleby on turf in Dubai so we came up with the idea to buy a few dirt horses for Jim and Claire,' says Jamie Osborne, taking up the story. 'The motivation for buying was not to go for Preakness, it was to compete on dirt in Dubai in winter. We did not set out with the idea of 'US Triple Crown, here we come'. But no one needs a racehorse, so part of my job as a trainer is to entertain. 'I still have very happy memories of the Breeders' Cup Classic, even though we were second. Our chances? In football terms you'd love to be somewhere near the goal-line, I'm not sure we're even in the box, but sometimes goals get scored from there. It's very hard to know how we stack up against the US horses. 'A bit like when we ran Toast in the Classic, as a trainer trying something different, the first wish is that you're not a million miles wrong and it's not an embarrassment. Do I think [an embarrassment] that's possible? Anything is possible, I think it's unlikely. 'Do I think we can win the Preakness? No. But I believe there's a chance he could cause an upset in the same way I believed Toast could – and he nearly did. I'm not sure what I consider par. What I know is this is an exciting adventure for us and the Bryces. The horse has been the driver. Clearly, there's no point in running him in Europe, he's an out-and-out dirt horse. Alternative? There wasn't one.' Watch: Toast Of New York (white silks, black cap) finishes second in 2014 Breeders' Cup The Kentucky Derby has been a proverbial graveyard for UAE Derby winners, hence why Osborne opted to run at Preakness instead. 'It would have been too soon and why go and take on 20 in a race, which would be a bit alien to what he's been doing when two weeks later you could run against a smaller field [nine runners] and benefit from the extra time, it made more sense,' he says. 'Toast won the UAE Derby on Tapeta, it wasn't a dirt track. His first run on dirt was in the Classic. This horse has only run on dirt apart from his first start at Southwell. There are similarities between the two horses; physically, they're both massive. From what I can see the good dirt horses look like four-wheel drive trucks: huge back ends, huge strong hips and hind legs. They have to be relentless and tough. 'When we went to the Classic with Toast, there wasn't a lot in his pedigree to say he'd go on dirt, but he had a proper dirt horse's physique, had thrived through the middle part of his three-year-old career and by the time we got to Santa Anita he was an incredible specimen. To my mind, Heart Of Honor has done his maturing a tiny bit earlier. He's changed out of all recognition from February. He's a spectacular-looking horse with strength now that he didn't have at the start of the year.' Ultimately, Osborne is aiming Heart Of Honor for much bigger prizes than the £1 million on offer to the winner, which is chicken feed in comparison to the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup. 'That's the master plan and if I thought this was at all detrimental to that, we wouldn't be doing it,' says the trainer.
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rachael Blackmore cracked glass ceiling but presuming it's in smithereens for female jockeys is complacent
A week that began with the shock retirement of Rachael Blackmore , perhaps the most significant female figure to ever ride a racehorse , might end with a different kind of landmark success for another woman on the other side of the Atlantic. At a minute after midnight tomorrow, English jockey Saffie Osborne rides Heart of Honor in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the US Triple Crown, at Pimlico in Baltimore. It is the 150th Preakness. No woman has ever ridden the winner before. Julie Krone is the only woman to ever ride a US Triple Crown race winner, all of 32 years ago on Colonial Affair in the Belmont. It was a pioneering accomplishment, but not transformative as many hoped. The job of professional jockey in the US remains overwhelmingly male. That isn't the case in other racing jurisdictions around the world. Nearly half of New Zealand 's professional jockeys are women. Emma-Jayne Wilson is Canada's most successful rider. But closer to home the jockey's room remains largely a male preserve. READ MORE There's no contradiction in pointing that out and acknowledging the emergence of a much more encouraging picture for female jockeys in the past decade. Blackmore's trailblazing career has reframed perceptions of women riding over obstacles. Never again can tired old stereotypes about the life of a professional jump jockey being too tough for women get trotted out. Blackmore personified resilience as well as brilliance. Hollie Doyle, the most successful female jockey in British racing history, at Newmarket earlier this month. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty On the flat, Hollie Doyle is one of Britain's most recognisable riders. Last weekend she became the most successful female jockey in British racing history when reaching 1,023 winners there. Her most high-profile victory came in the 2022 French Oaks aboard Nashwa. Osborne's presence alone in the Preakness underlines a very different professional reality for women riders compared to not so very long ago. The significance of what she might achieve is attention grabbing. But her ability to perform on such a high-profile stage isn't an issue. At 23, Osborne is still at the early stages of her career. Like any other young rider, the scale of what she might achieve could come down to getting on enough good horses to showcase her talents. Saffie Osborne, whose presence alone in the Preakness underlines a very different professional reality for women riders compared to not so very long ago. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA The impact of a major victory such as a Preakness might propel an already polished professional to a new level. Once there, the evidence from Blackmore's career is that there can be no limit to where momentum takes you. How Blackmore has been such a singular presence is underlined by the struggles of other female riders. She really is the exception that proves the rule in Ireland. Outright prejudice mightn't prevail any more, but old habits still flourish. With estimates of more than half of all stable staff being women, the paltry number of female riders is woefully out of whack. Siobhan Rutledge was the only woman in the top 40 Irish flat riders last year with seven winners. She's now trying her luck in Australia. Apart from Blackmore, the most successful rider over jumps was the amateur, Jody Townend. Siobhan Rutledge is now trying her luck in Australia. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty It's true that Blackmore has cracked the glass ceiling forever. But presumptions that it is in smithereens smack of complacency. With her pioneering example, the odds are that eventually Irish racing will see another woman feature at the top of the tree, either on the flat or over jumps. Except that 'eventually' can be a very long time. It is in the sport's self-interest to try and make it sooner rather than later. The usual line is how racing is the one sport where male and female compete on an equal footing. It allows the sport to feel satisfied with itself, particularly with figures such as Blackmore and Doyle who succeed on a level playing field despite the obstacles put in front of them. But they are outliers, exceptions that prove the rule about the difficulty female jockeys face in securing the vital initial opportunities required to exhibit their talents and potential in the first place. No one's saying it's straightforward for young male riders either. But old habits die hard, and young female jockeys still must overcome conventional thinking that mightn't be actual prejudice but still smacks of bias. It is interesting to note then how French racing quietly persists with its 2017 policy of weight allowances for female riders in order to try to increase opportunities for them. It prompted predictable outrage and charges of sexism when introduced, although noticeably more outside France than in. Within a year though, there was a 165 per cent increase in the number of wins by female jockeys. The number of rides taken by women had doubled. One of the beneficiaries has been Marie Velon who started her career in 2017. Last year she made the top 10 on the French jockeys' table. Four places behind her was Maryline Eon. Velon's success also includes Group One glory with Iresine where no allowances are in place. French jockey Marie Velon at Ascot last year. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty This is cultural and behavioural change. More has been achieved with concrete efforts to level the playing field than by any amount of posturing. The contrast with Ireland now that Blackmore is retired is stark. There's currently a tide in the affairs of women in racing which can lead to fortune. But it should and can be hurried up. Examining the feasibility of implementing the French model here, in the hope of changing habits, could work out to everyone's benefit. Something for the Weekend Light as Air (5.00) is a half-brother to the Leger hero Continuous. He holds an Irish Derby and if that's realistic he should be a major player in a Navan handicap tomorrow off a mark of 86. His first run of the year at Leopardstown was luckless and eye catching. Earlier on Saturday, the Ballydoyle team's Ides of March (1.25) can lift a Newbury listed contest if not repeating the tardy starts of his last two races.
