Jockey Saffie Osborne taken to hospital after nasty Windsor fall
Saffie Osborne, one of the rising stars of the apprentice ranks, was taken to hospital on Monday night for scans and assessment after a shocking fall at Windsor but, without being specific about the damage, her father, the trainer Jamie Osborne, implied that she had escaped serious injury.
He tweeted: “With immeasurable sense of relief I can report that Saffie is going to be fine. Katie (his wife) and I thank you all for your concern and kind words.”
What is for sure, however, is that the jockey will be very to sore and ‘off games’ for a while.
Osborne, 18, who had earlier ridden the ninth winner of her career, on Petchside, was riding Zeyzoun in division 1 of the Follow At The Races on Twitter Handicap over a mile at Windsor when she took the horrible looking fall.
She was midfield just behind the leaders when her mount clipped heels, stumbled and threw her out of the saddle at the start of the tight switch-back bend about two furlongs into the race while the field was still tightly packed.
However although the jockeys behind her tried to take evading action, she was stepped on by at least one other runner. Some of her colleagues, who rode in the race, were visibly shaken by the incident.
She was treated on the course by paramedics before being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance and taken straight to hospital.
In normal circumstances a jockey is assessed in the medical room next to the weighing room before being sent on to hospital if necessary. Her treatment on the ground, however, delayed the next race by 20 minutes.
On reviewing the fall, which effectively put three horses out of contention by hampering them, the stewards handed fellow apprentice Marco Ghiani, riding Maykir, a 10 day ban for careless riding.
They took the view that he manoeuvred towards the rail when not sufficiently clear causing Zeyzoun to clip heels and unseat Osborne.
Sophie Candy, clerk of the course, said: “She was conscious and speaking but she has gone to hospital for further x-rays and investigation.”
Meanwhile Ghaiyyath, who was rated the top horse in the world this year after making all the running to win the Coronation Cup, Coral Eclipse and International Stakes and was a good second to Magical in the Irish Champion Stakes on his last start has been retired to stud and will not be going to the Breeders’ Cup.
The winner of nine of his 13 races for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, he was the best horse William Buick has ridden and will stand at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.
