Osborne tops big day in Europe as England's first female classic winner
Saturday afternoon produced two massive upsets in Group 1 races in England and Ireland, and two very formful results in other races at the highest level.
Hotazhell (who paid $76.90 in American pools) closed from the middle of a field of eight to finish a nose in front of 28-1 Wimbledon Hawkeye in the $1.45 million Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown.
Slightly more than a half-hour later, Highwayman ($20.60) won the $946,200 English St. Leger at Doncaster Racecourse in England under jockey Saffie Osborne, who became the first woman to win a classic race in the country. The St. Leger was first run in 1776.
Earlier on the Leopardstown program, Darkness Falls ($3.70) won his stakes debut in the Group 1 Golden Fleece Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles by 4 1/4 lengths, becoming the future-book favorite for the Group 1 English Derby at Epsom Racecourse on June 5, 2027.
Blue Bolt ($3) extended her 2026 winning streak in stakes for fillies and mares to five races with a win by 2 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 Matron Stakes.
Hotazhell, a 4-year-old colt by Too Darn Hot, won for the sixth time in his 15th start in the Irish Champion Stakes.
Ridden by Shane Foley, Hotazhell won his third Group 1 in the Irish Champion Stakes. He won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile at Doncaster in November 2024, and the Group 1 Bayerisches Zuchtennen at Munich Racecourse at 1 1/4 miles on July 26. Wimbledon Hawkeye was third in the race in Germany.
With the win in the Irish Champion Stakes, Hotazhell earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Winning trainer Jessica Harrington said after Saturday’s race that Hotazhell would like start in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 17.
Hotazhell beat a strong field in the Irish Champion Stakes. Constitution River, the winner of the Group 1 French Derby in May, finished third as the 4-5 favorite, beaten three-quarters of a length. Item and Almaqam, who finished first and second in the Group 1 International Stakes at York Racecourse in August, finished sixth and fourth in a field of eight in the Irish Champion Stakes.
Blue Bolt won her third consecutive Group 1 race in the Matron Stakes, earning a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Oct. 31, a race trainer Andrew Balding said is under consideration.
In the $464,400 Matron, Blue Bolt stalked the pace before taking the lead with more than a furlong remaining. She was ridden by Colin Keane, on his 32nd birthday.
City of Memphis (12-1) finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 10-1 Fallen Angel in the field of nine.
Blue Bolt, a 4-year-old filly by Blue Point, has won 8 of 11 starts for Juddmonte. The current winning streak includes the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July and the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, France, in August.
Darkness Falls was available at odds ranging from 7-1 to 10-1 with British bookmakers for the 2027 English Derby in the immediate aftermath of his win in the $464,400 Golden Fleece Stakes, a race previously known as the Juvenile Stakes.
Darkness Falls, a colt by Camelot, won for the second time in three starts on Saturday. Ridden by Ryan Moore for Aidan O’Brien, Darkness Falls raced in the middle of a field of nine before moving closer to the leaders with a quarter-mile remaining.
Moore urged Darkness Falls to the front with more than a furlong to go. Jesus Green (15-1) finished second, 2 3/4 lengths in front of 6-1 Quest for Stars.
Darkness Falls, owned by the Coolmore syndicate and Georg Von Opel, won his second start in a maiden race at the Curragh by seven lengths on Aug. 29 to reach a prominent position among Ireland’s 2-year-olds.
O’Brien hinted that Darkness Falls will be considered for the BC Juvenile Turf on Oct. 30.
Osborne delivers popular winner
Highwayman continued his notable rise in the 3-year-old marathon division in Europe with his win in the English St. Leger.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien, Highwayman closed from off the pace in the St. Leger at 1 9/16 miles to lead with a quarter-mile remaining. Racing wide in the stretch, Highwayman was soon clear and won by 2 1/2 lengths over 8-5 favorite Enceladus, also trained by Joseph O’Brien. Amelia Earhart, a filly trained by Aidan O’Brien, finished third by 6 3/4 lengths.
Osborne, 24, pumped her fist in the air in celebration after the win. Osborne, who gained the mount last Tuesday, later fought back tears in a television interview in the winner’s circle.
“This was not on my bingo card for this week,” she said. “I’m in shock to be honest.
“Things like this change your life.”
Osborne is the daughter of English jockey-turned-trainer Jamie Osborne.
Highwayman, a colt by Persian King owned by John Neocleous, has won 3 of 7 starts. Highwayman has won his last three starts, beginning with a win in a maiden race at Killarney on July 13 followed by his stakes debut in the listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at 1 3/4 miles at Leopardstown on Aug. 20.
The English St. Leger was Highwayman’s group stakes debut. He is under consideration for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Nov. 3.
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