Saffie Osborne continued her excellent start to the season as she landed another big prize on Saturday. Osborne delivered the Richard Spencer-trained Zigazig Ah with aplomb, beating Angel’s Lane by a nose.
It was another valuable sales prize for Osborne, who won the £300,000 contest at Doncaster last season. Osborne has started the campaign off strongly once more. She took the £52k Betfred Handicap at Newmarket in May, before winning the rescheduled 52k Betway Silver Bowl Handicap.
With more luck, Osborne might’ve been a Group 1 winner on Touleen having been hampered late on. Despite all the aforementioned success, Osborne is aware of the misfortunes racing can conjure up, and isn’t getting carried away. Speaking to the Racing Post, Osborne said: “I know more than anyone how quickly your fate can change in this game. I think the day that I had my fall last year, I’d had two winners. In the race after, I was in the back of an ambulance, so I know how quickly it can change.
“At the start of my career, I was probably a victim of being a bit of a dreamer. But I’m very lucky that I’ve had some very nice horses to ride and had some very good days. I’ve learned over the last five years to keep myself very grounded and manage my own expectations. And keep each day as it comes.
Level headed mentality the key to Osborne’s success
Saffie Osborne discussed a range of factors as to her improved form. The first being her agent, Tony Hind as she noted: “Tony is doing an amazing job and the season has started brilliantly. To be in the middle of the top ten in the championship is incredible.”
The partnership with Richard Spencer and Phil Cunningham has also played a healthy part, but more so the support from a range of connections. “I’ve been really lucky to have loads of support from lots of different trainers. And I’m just really enjoying it as well. I’m rarely going to the races now without chances on horses that can win every day. And that makes it so much more enjoyable.
“As I said with Richard and Phil, I’m riding for people that I really love riding for. And it makes it so much more enjoyable because you know how much hard work they all put into it.”
Aside from partnerships, Osborne attributes a large part of her success to her mentality as she said: “It’s easy to let yourself get too high and low, this game’s enough of a rollercoaster without you doing that. So I’ve managed to learn to keep myself very level. And I think that’s stood me in good stead with my riding over the past year as well.”