After a four-day Doncaster St Leger Festival and a two-day Irish Champions Festival between Leopardstown and the Curragh, there were plenty of potential talking points from last week. No doubt Saffie Osborne becoming the first woman jockey in British history to win a Classic was the headline, a great result for our industry in showing the world women can compete with men on level terms in what is a tough sport.
Of course women, and indeed all jockeys, need the chance to prove themselves and Osborne has done that this season. Richard Spencer has been her main provider of winners (15) this year, but Osborne has also entered the winners’ enclosure for the likes of Ralph Beckett, Harry Charlton, Tom Clover, Clive Cox, Gordon Elliott, James Fanshawe, William Haggas, Nicky Henderson, Richard Hughes, Charlie Johnston, Brian Meehan, David Menuisier, Joseph O’Brien, James Owen and of course, her father Jamie Osborne.
Before Saturday’s Group 1 win, consistent pattern race opportunities have been coming Osborne’s way this season, on the likes of Coppull, Inis Mor, Tabletalk, Touleen, White Birch and Witness Stand. I’ve no doubt rides in big races like the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and July Cup has helped hone her skills ahead of her winning St Leger ride aboard Highwayman.
Post-race, it was interesting to hear Osborne still beat herself up about that hugely unlucky ride on Touleen in the Coronation back in June. The frustration she still showed about how that race panned for her, her mount and her connections shows the ambition and drive within her, but having watched that race back numerous times, I can’t help but feel she was being incredibly hard on herself. Easy for me to say, of course.
Osborne’s mount is quite a small filly and had no chance of manoeuvring out of a pocket thanks to some fair and tough race-riding via Wayne Lordan on the giant and pacey 1000 Guineas winner True Love on her outside. On her inside, Moon Target’s jockey Luke Morris picked up a three-day careless riding ban for hampering Touleen, the stewards ruling that Morris edged his mount left-handed when he was not fully clear.
Under the circumstances, there was little to nothing Osborne could done to get her mount home in front, especially against a classy three-year-old filly in Precise. Saturday’s Classic success has now hopefully banished any bad memories of that Royal Ascot run, giving her further confidence to go on and ride more winners in big races.
Congrats to Osborne, her family and friends on what was a truly historic day on Town Moor.
Elsewhere over the two days, a couple of other races caught the eye, including one at Leopardstown which has seen me have a first ante-post bet for the 2026 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, which will be live on Sky Sports Racing.
View a Purfect value play in the Breeders’ Cup Turf
Heading into Saturday’s Group 3 World Pool Bet With The Tote Kilternan Stakes (12f) at Leopardstown, the Dermot Weld-trained Purview was a horse I was keeping a close eye on, thanks to a hugely impressive 2026 comeback in May at the Curragh which showed he had improved significantly from three to four.
The son of Kingman won his seasonal debut by an impressive 6 lengths, taking the Listed Orby Stakes (12f) from the 109-rated older horse Trustyourinstinct showing a fine turn of foot from 2out to bolt up. The runner-up wasn’t at his best on the day, but it was still a lovely performance.
Over a month later, Purview would beat Trustyourinstinct again, in the Group 3 International Stakes at the Curragh (10f), this time the margin of victory down to ¾ of a length, a drop to 10f on quicker ground maybe not totally ideal for the winner, but the Juddmonte-owned colt did it readily, with Irish Champion Stakes winner Hotazhell 1½ lengths back in third.
Post-race trainer Dermot Weld nominated the Breeders’ Cup Turf as a long-term aim, a Group 1 Weld and Colin Keane won together with Tarnawa back in 2020 so after Saturday’s Kilternan Stakes third it was a huge surprise to see bookmakers push Purview out to 14/1 for the Turf. Sure, it was disappointing to see him beaten as a 6/5 favourite, but under the circumstances he did little to damage his chance of a big Breeders’ Cup run.
For a start, after a mid-summer of 76 days, likely due to fast ground, Purview is entitled to take a step forward in terms of fitness. The fact he had to carry a Group 3 penalty also made his life tougher, but what really got him beat was how the race panned out tactically. Drawn widest of all in stall 11, Colin Keane was forced to rein back to the rear of the field in a race that turned quite tactical.
The in-form winner Arabian Crown, who came into the race on the back of a career best effort on my figures, was given a brilliant front-running ride by James Doyle to win in a race that it was hard to make up ground from the rear. With Doyle slipping in four furlongs of 12.98-13.14-13.08-12.70 before they got to 3out, it was always going to be tough for those held-up to score, but under the circumstances, I’d argue Purview was the moral winner of the race having closed strongly in 12.03-11.29-11.98.
Visually, it was encouraging to see Purview (114+) on such nice terms with himself and should he go to Keeneland, it’s got to be a massive bonus that he is a fresh horse. Current race-favourite Benvenuto Cellini (119) has had a busy season, disappointed last time out in France and may not enjoy the tight track, with the Ballydoyle team reportedly battling an in-house virus, too. Second favourite Ombudsman (130) may not even run over a trip he’s never encountered while he too disappointed in his last start.
It is a market that could change significantly and while Purview needs to prove himself at this level, the race does have a significant chance of cutting up. If Daryz (124+) were to win a second Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, he would surely be retired while stablemate Calandagan (127?) may head back to Ascot and then Japan. He has looked a tired horse this season to my eye or, at least not at his peak efforts of 2025.
At the prices, I’m not sure I’d be too worried about many others, plenty of whom – like Thundering On (116+) - will likely run in the Arc so I am going to chance PURVIEW at 14s, in the hope Dermot Weld gets his wish and the race cuts up.
Castle to prove king three-year-old?
At Doncaster on Saturday, it was hard not to be taken by the classy success of Desert Castle in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes (7f). The strapping son of Frankel still looks a work in progress, but it didn’t stop him from casting the 99-rated (on my own figures) Sergei Diaghilev aside in what was mostly a silky-smooth victory.
I say mostly, because for the second race in succession, Desert Castle hung badly left-handed under pressure once hitting the front, but on just his second career start he’s entitled to still be green and raw. That’s exciting, because I’ve got him running to 108p on just his second start and everything about him in the short and long-term suggests he’s going to improve.
Physically, the Godolphin-owned colt looks a fine stamp of a horse who carries plenty of condition, the type of horse to improve with racing and take his racing well. Mentally, there are understandably some chinks to iron out, but that will come with time, experience and getting a lead for longer in his races should help too.
Billy Loughnane’s mount has simply had too much class and pace to get a lead deep into his last couple of races, seeing him in front sooner than ideal. That has likely contributed to his late hanging, although on debut, fast ground possibly wasn’t ideal.
With the horse’s dam Sand Vixen already producing smart types With The Moonlight and Dream Castle, among others, Desert Castle is also bred to be smart, but he may yet be the best of what his dam has produced. With this being the case, it’s no surprise to see him currently favourite for the Dewhurst Stakes (6/4) and the 2027 2000 Guineas (11/2).
Everything from his pedigree to his striding suggests he'll be even better over 8f next year. He’s an exciting colt!
