Saffie Osborne won the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship 2026 on British Champions Day at Ascot.
She will also split her £50,000 charity prize equally between HEROS and Lambourn Riding for the Disabled.
The competition rewards jockeys based on points linked to World Pool win odds. It began on 2000 Guineas Day, which was the first World Pool fixture in the UK and Ireland this year.
The championship then covered 35 race days before reaching its conclusion at Ascot.
Osborne finished with 186.30 points after riding 13 winners on UK and Irish World Pool race days.
World Pool ambassador Ryan Moore finished second with 103.85 points. Billy Loughnane took third with 101.50 points.
Stunning season
Osborne started the season in style on 2000 Guineas Day, winning aboard Ten Carat Harry, who returned at World Pool win odds of 37.10, and Velvet Rhythm (14.75) to open up a healthy lead at the top of the WPJC.
A treble on King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day at Ascot – Amazing Journey (6.80), Primo Lara (5.85) and Hickory (12.85) – secured further points but while Osborne managed four winners between King George Day and the end of York’s Ebor Festival, none returned at sizable odds, meaning she slipped a few places down the table.
Her historic victory in the Group 1 St Leger aboard Highwayman (10.30) – the first British Classic win for a female rider – bolstered her challenge before a huge World Pool overpay on Lola De Valance (60.75) and another on Ruby’s Angel (19.60) on Fillies’ Mile Day at Newmarket saw her rocket back to the top of the leaderboard.
Charity donations
Upon being confirmed as the winner, Osborne said: “I knew when I had two big-priced winners on Guineas Day at Newmarket that I had gained a good lead, but I didn’t imagine I would still be there at the end of the season.
“It’s been a brilliant year and this is obviously a great prize to win, so thank you to World Pool and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for putting on this competition.
“I’m going to split the money between Lambourn Riding for the Disabled and HEROS, who look after the re-training of racehorses and help children with learning disabilities to connect with horses.
“They’re two charities that hopefully this money will make a huge difference to.”
WPJC winners
2024 – Billy Loughnane
2025 – Oisin Murphy
2026 – Saffie Osborne
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