Osborne Receives Visiting License to Ride in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's jockey ranks are set for a further injection of star power this winter, with the staggered arrival of four highly decorated international riders—Saffie Osborne, Maxime Guyon, Dylan Browne McMonagle and Rossa Ryan—each of whom has been granted a Visiting Jockey's license. History-making British Classic winner Osborne will be the first to arrive in November, followed by Guyon and Ryan in December, while Browne McMonagle joins the roster in January. The quartet brings an exceptional combination of Classic and Group 1 success, championship honours and international experience to Hong Kong, with all four set to add further depth and global star appeal to the city's racing scene. The riders enter the fray in Hong Kong's most thrilling period of the season, with Osborne, Guyon and Ryan eligible to participate in LONGINES Hong Kong International Races week, which kicks off with the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship on Wednesday, 9 December at Happy Valley. Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: "Hong Kong's jockey ranks are among the strongest in world racing and the arrival of Saffie, Maxime, Dylan and Rossa this winter underlines how highly regarded our racing is internationally. Between them, they bring a British Classic, a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and multiple championship titles, and each has earned this opportunity through outstanding achievement at the highest level." Fast-rising British star Osborne joins Hong Kong's ranks from Sunday, 8 November until Wednesday, 23 December 2026. Earlier this month, Osborne, who has a career strike rate of 12%, made racing history by becoming the first female jockey to win a British Classic when Highwayman claimed the 250th running of the G1 St. Leger (2905m) at Doncaster for trainer Joseph O'Brien. The 24-year-old, daughter of British former jump jockey and current trainer Jamie Osborne, has ridden 394 winners in an incredible career so far, which includes Group race wins in her native England and Italy. She is a two-time Shergar Cup winner and captained the Great Britain & Ireland team to victory over Team Hong Kong at Ascot in August. "It's a real honour to have been invited, and I'm really looking forward to it," Osborne said. "I've watched a huge amount of racing in Hong Kong. It's something that, over here, we will follow very closely, and it's somewhere I've always dreamed of being able to go and ride. To be able to go and do that this winter is really special. "I've been very lucky to ride in lots of different countries, and I think each place you go, you learn new things, and it makes you a better jockey. But obviously I would love to bang in a few winners. I'm just really excited to experience the atmosphere. I've never been to Hong Kong, but the atmosphere at the races looks incredible," she added. Frenchman Guyon is a superstar of world racing. He has ridden almost 3,400 winners - including 58 Group 1 victories - during a glittering 21-year career in the saddle. He will ride in Hong Kong between Wednesday, 2 December 2026 and Monday, 8 February 2027. The four-time French Champion Jockey has extensive international experience, including in Hong Kong, where he rode 15 winners last season and has become a familiar face to racing fans. He partnered Ambitious Dragon to Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Cup success in 2011 and has been a regular visitor since. He has won the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase three times aboard Flintshire (2014), Junko (2023) and Sosie (2025). "I'm lucky because I've won some good races in Hong Kong," Guyon said. "I love to ride in Hong Kong because it's a very good place to be a jockey. The racing is very good there. "If I can win any big races - a Group 1 or something, it's very important for me. If I can ride between 10 and 20 winners over the winter there, it's really good." At 23, Browne McMonagle is one of the most exciting prospects in world racing. Already an Irish Champion Jockey, the Donegal native has begun racking up global Group 1 crowns in Ireland, Great Britain, the United States, France and Germany, the latest of which was a G1 Irish Oaks victory at the Curragh aboard Johanna Walsh for trainer Joseph O'Brien in July. He enjoyed a fruitful stint in Hong Kong last season, slotting 10 wins. Alongside Osborne, he was also part of the Great Britain & Ireland team that triumphed at this year's Shergar Cup. He will compete in Hong Kong from Wednesday, 6 January to Sunday, 28 February 2027. 2024 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning rider Ryan brings a wealth of international experience to Hong Kong between Wednesday, 2 December 2026 and Sunday, 28 February 2027 (excluding the Saturday, 26 December meeting). The Irishman is a five-time Group 1 winner, listing the G1 July Cup at Newmarket, the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar and the G1 Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp among his international highlights. The 26-year-old, a former British All-Weather Champion Jockey, can boast a record featuring 1,201 career wins at a strike rate of 15%. He is well known for his association with leading Juddmonte-owned filly Bluestocking, with whom he claimed prizemoney totalling £3.24 million (approx. HK$33.96 million). "It's definitely an adventure I'm excited to get on," Ryan said. "I'm kind of at that stage now where I like to hope I'm ready and I know how to hold my own. I'm ready for the next chapter, you could say. "It's all about learning the other jockeys' characters and how they ride, and what could be the best way of beating them. But also for me, going to Hong Kong this winter, it's the first time since I started riding where I can actually go somewhere and focus on my weight and my fitness. I can enjoy it and try to do as well as I can," he added. Between them, the quartet has won championships in France, Britain and Ireland, Classic races in Britain and major Group 1 prizes including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Their arrival adds another layer of international depth to Hong Kong's fiercely competitive riding ranks, which feature nine-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey Zac Purton, 2017 LONGINES World's Best Jockey Hugh Bowman, and Vincent Ho, a graduate of The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Apprentice Jockeys' School and four-time winner of the Tony Cruz Award as the leading homegrown rider. "Saffie's historic St. Leger win earlier this month captured the imagination of the entire sport; Maxime is one of the finest riders of his generation, Dylan is the reigning Irish champion, and Rossa has proven himself on the biggest stages," Mr Harding added. "Their presence will add another layer of competition and excitement at Sha Tin and Happy Valley, and I have no doubt our fans will relish witnessing them in action. And with their stints spanning from November through to the end of February, including the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, our fans will have plenty of opportunities to see them." Hong Kong racing returns on Sunday with an 11-race card at Sha Tin, featuring the Group 3 Celebration Cup Handicap.