Saffie Osborne became the first female jockey to win a British Classic horse race while riding Highwayman in the St Leger on Saturday.
Highwayman, trained by Joseph O’Brien, was priced 11-1 and finished ahead of Enceladus and Amelia Earhart.
“I didn’t have this on the bingo card for this week," Osborne told ITV Racing. “I didn’t have a ride in the race on Monday morning, let alone one with a chance, and I can’t thank so many people enough."
The St Leger, in its 250th year, is the world’s oldest Classic. Osborne's historic moment follows Rachael Blackmore, who was the first female jockey to win the Grand National in 2021.
Osborne was handed the spare ride on Highwayman as reward for an impressive season. She moved into contention as the runners entered the long Doncaster straight.
Osborne sent her mount on with a furlong to run and the only danger appeared to be Billy Loughnane and 5-2 second-favorite Enceladus. But Highwayman and Osborne raced into the record books.
Osborne is the daughter of trainer and former top National Hunt jockey Jamie and Katie O’Sullivan, who is a highly regarded equine artist.
Osborne's first Classic ride came on Walker’s Ten Bob Tony in the 2000 Guineas two years ago when she finished eighth. She rode Heart Of Honor in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, two legs of the American Triple Crown.
“This means the absolute world and as I crossed the line I was in shock," she said. “I just can’t believe it and it just doesn’t feel real.”
Highwayman, ridden by Saffie Osborne, competes in the Betfred St Leger Stakes on day three of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse in Doncaster, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)
Saffie Osborne celebrates after winning the Betfred St Leger Stakes on day three of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse in Doncaster, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)
MADRID (AP) — Lando Norris came out of nowhere to outduel Kimi Antonelli and take a big step toward winning the first Formula 1 race in Madrid in more than four decades by securing the important pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday.
Antonelli had been the dominant driver in the Spanish capital this weekend, but Norris emerged with the fastest time in his final qualifying attempt with McLaren at the new Madring urban circuit that won't yield many overtaking opportunities.
“I’m shocked. I’m a little bit surprised to be here,” Norris said in the post-qualifying interview. “It was probably one of the best laps I’ve done ever in my career. Very, very happy, very proud. Very happy for the team."
Norris was sixth-fastest in the first practice session on Friday, then couldn’t run in the second session because of a gearbox problem and finished fourth in the final session on Saturday.
He said the “adrenaline was high” on the lap of 1 minute, 31.824 seconds that he set in qualifying, which was only one hundredth better than Antonelli's time.
“It’s just one of those laps where everything came together," Norris said. "I had an idea of what I wanted to do, it was just a matter of my brain letting me do it on that last lap. Everything pretty much worked perfectly.”
The 20-year-old Antonelli, who was coming off an epic come-from-behind win in front of his home fans in Monza, leads Mercedes' teammate George Russell by 66 points in the drivers’ standings.
It was the third pole of the season for Norris. He had won consecutive races in Hungary and in the Netherlands ahead of the Italian GP that Antonelli won.
Max Verstappen will start third with Red Bull, with a time one tenth of a second behind Norris, followed by the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton — who crashed in the final practice session earlier Saturday — and Charles Leclerc. Russell was next. Hamilton had been provisionally ahead after the first attempts of the final qualifying run.
Norris' McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished in seventh place.
Antonelli said the start of the race Sunday could be key to the outcome.
“The start is very important for sure,” he said. "Overtaking is going to be very difficult. The only thing you can do is try to put pressure on the car in front and make them make a mistake and then try to play with strategy.”
It was a mostly clean session after two red flags affected the final practice session earlier Saturday at the unforgiving circuit that mixes existing roads with purpose-built sections.
The 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) Madring track has been giving drivers little margin for error.
Antonelli locked up tires and went straight but avoided crashing earlier in the qualifying session. Russell brushed the wall at one point.
Haas’ Oliver Bearman did not participate in qualifying because of a crash in the final practice session earlier Saturday.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also did not join qualifying after taking a grid penalty for switching power-unit components.
As expected, the two Spaniards couldn't give the home fans a lot of reason to celebrate.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will start 18th with Aston Martin, while Williams' Carlos Sainz will be 17th. Neither advanced past the first qualifying stage.
Organizers expected a total attendance of nearly 350,000 people at the track in the Spanish capital.
The Spanish GP is returning to the Madrid region for the first time in 45 years. It took place at the Jarama circuit in the capital’s outskirts in 1981. The Jerez de la Frontera track in southern Spain hosted races from 1986-90, and in 1994 and 1997. Barcelona has been hosting races in Spain the past few years. Madring signed a contract with F1 through 2035.
See AP’s full auto racing coverage here
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates his pole position after the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Violeta Santos Moura/Pool Photo via AP)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gets pushed back into his garage during the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Violeta Santos Moura/Pool Photo via AP)
Cadillac driver Sergio Perez of Mexico steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Violeta Santos Moura/Pool Photo via AP)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Williams driver Alexander Albon of Thailand makes a pit stop during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the third free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
