Jockey Saffie Osborne has the world at her feet. She’s talented, young, attractive, personable, ambitious, well-connected and much more. I have no doubt she is on her way to being a global superstar in the sport of racing and beyond.
She has certainly done this column plenty of favours in recent weeks. I have tipped three of her rides at fairly tasty prices – Amazing Journey, Hickory and Highwayman – and I am glad to say they have all won. Judging from the Comment section, plenty of others have joined me with these bets and so following her has been profitable for readers, too.
I certainly would not back Osborne or any other jockey blindly even while they are enjoying a run of red-hot form, but there is plenty to like about the chances of TWILIGHT CALLS, her ride in tomorrow’s Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup (3:40 p.m.), now that the horse has scraped into the race as the 25th and final runner.
Other than Osborne’s trainer-father Jamie, one of the first to spot her potential as a rider was the shrewd Newmarket handler Richard Spencer. The 24-year-old jockey has, in turn, rewarded his faith in her by riding plenty of winners for him, including some nice handicap pots.
Spencer trains Twilight Calls, an eight-year-old gelding who has won three times and been second twice in handicaps since the trainer first applied a visor to the horse back in June. I would be concerned if the ground went too soft because most of Twilight Calls’ best form has been on good ground: this was a horse, remember, who when trained by Henry Candy four years ago, was second in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Odds wise, I preferred the 25-1 that was on offer for Twilight Calls on Wednesday morning but, nevertheless, back him 1 point each way at 10-1 with bet365, Unibet or Betfred, all paying six places.
I have certainly not given up on my long-term fancy for this race: Caburn, put up at 40-1 last month. The soft ground he needs to be at his best has arrived and his current price of 33-1 with Sky Bet, paying seven places, still looks extremely generous.
As regular readers know, I am gradually trying to wean myself off backing horses in sprint handicaps, so I will leave the Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup (tomorrow 2:30 p.m.) and the Ladbrokes Ayr Bronze Cup (today 3:40 p.m.) alone.
Instead, I will turn my attention to Newbury where I am happy to put up an old favourite, PADDY THE SQUIRE. Scottish trainer Iain Jardine’s six-year-old was slightly disappointing behind Daiquiri Bay in the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York last month when I tipped both horses in the race.
That was a hot contest and Paddy The Squire got slightly squeezed at crucial time on going softer than ideal so I will forgive him that run for which he has been dropped 1 lb in the ratings by the official handicapper. It is also possible, too, that he did not stay the trip in such a competitive race.
Tomorrow he is being dropped all of four furlongs in distance when he contests the Dubai Duty Free Handicap (2:47 p.m.). On the face of it that seems extreme given the horse’s best form has been over a mile and a half, but Jardine knows his horses. So I am tipping Paddy The Squire 1 point each way at 12-1 with bet365, William Hill or Unibet, all paying four places.
Two-year-old contests, whether conditions races or nurseries, are not usually my ‘bag’ but I am surprised to see that LEARNING is the outsider of the four-runner field in today’s Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (2:22 p.m.) at Newbury.
Learning is well thought of in the Hannon yard and ran well in a really competitive race at Salisbury last month. All in all, Learning looks overpriced so back her 2 points win at 10-1 with bet365 or Willilam Hill.
As regular readers might remember, the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch is my favourite flat handicap of the year and dual-purpose horses – those running over jumps and the flat – have a good record in the race.
I am going to put up a horse who, despite winning form over hurdles, has only really come to his own in his last two runs on the flat. Trained at Epsom by the charismatic George Baker, GOOLOOGONG runs tomorrow the Turners Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket (4:20 p.m.). This is in the hope of picking up a second winners’ penalty that means he has a better chance of making the ‘cut’ for the main event on 10 October.
As an ante-post bet, I like the fact that Gooloogong goes on all ground and that he is proven over a longer trip than the two Newmarket contests. Because the Cesarewitch proper is an early-closing race, he can run in the main on 10 October better handicapped that he is tomorrow too. Only 19 runners lined up in the Cesarewitch last year, so he might well make the ‘cut’ even if he does not win tomorrow.
Anyway, I am not going to be backing Gooloogong tomorrow at relatively short odds but instead I suggest backing him 1 point each way at 33-1 with William Hill, Sky Bet, Paddy Power or Betfair for the main Cesarewitch contest next month. If Gooloogong bombs tomorrow that would obviously be bad news but a win or a place would put him in a good position to run a big race in a fortnight’s time if he gets a run.
Next week I will be taking a look at Newmarket’s Saturday card that includes the bet365 Cambridgeshire. Weather forecasters are predicting lots of sunshine over the coming eight days and, if that is correct, soft-ground horses either will not be running or might as well stay at home.
Pending:
2 points win Learning at 10-1 for the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises Stakes.
1 point each way Paddy The Squire at 12-1 for the Dubai Duty Free Handicap, paying 1/5 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Caburn at 40-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Twilight Calls at 10-1 for the Ayr Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places.
1 point each way Hard Endeavor at 40-1 for the Cambridgeshire, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Gooloogong at 33-1 for the Godolphin Cesarewitch, paying 1/4 odds, 4 places.
Last weekend: + 10.6 points.
1 point each way Eternal Sunshine at 8-1 for the Portland Handicap, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Highwayman at 12-1 for the St Leger, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. 1st. + 14.6 points.
1 point each way Time For Sandals at SP for the Flying Five, paying 1/5th odds, most places. Unplaced. – 4 points.
2026 flat season running total: + 40.425 points.
2025-26 jumps season: – 57.785 points on all tips.
2025 flat season: + 84.12 points on all tips.
2024-5 jumps season: – 47.61 points on all tips.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jumps season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
Total for seven full seasons of tipping before this one: + 68.215 points on all tips.
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