Saffie Osborne's brilliant year cut short early due to 'hugely frustrating' injury

Saffie Osborne is relishing returning in 2024 after being ruled out for the rest of the year with torn ligaments in her knee.

Osborne suffered the injury in a fall at the beginning of October and had continued to ride, most recently when finishing ninth on Canoodled in a Listed race at Saint-Cloud on Monday, but will sit out the remainder of 2023 to fully recover.

"It’s obviously hugely frustrating to miss any time in the saddle but my knee has been causing me some pain. I'm hoping to be back riding in January," Osborne said.

"I’m hugely grateful to all the owners and trainers who have supported me this year and I can’t wait to be back riding in 2024."

Osborne has enjoyed a memorable season with a career-best 70 winners; her mounts earning more than £1.3 million in prize-money. 

She enjoyed a breakthrough Group-race triumph in Britain aboard Random Harvest in the Valiant Stakes at Ascot in July. Her other notable success came when guiding Metier to a narrow verdict in the Chester Cup in May.

Leading rider in the Racing League for the second year in a row, Osborne was on the losing team this time as Wales and the West were narrowly denied by Ireland on the final night.

She was part of the victorious ladies' team at Ascot's Shergar Cup in August, riding a double on Scampi in the Challenge and Dark Trooper in the Sprint before sealing success in the Sprint.

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