Injury complications force star apprentice Saffie Osborne to end season early

Saffie Osborne is unlikely to ride in Britain again this year with the jockey booked in to have surgery on her left arm due to complications with a prior injury.

Osborne, 19, damaged her arm in a fall at Windsor a year ago and is expecting to be sidelined for around a month before heading to Australia for the winter, if permitted to enter the country.

She said: "All the metal from my arm has to come out as it's causing some nerve issues down to my hand. My hand has gone into spasm when I've been riding a couple of times and I've not been able to use it, so that's got to be sorted. I should be out for about a month.

"I'm looking to go away for the winter and at the moment I'm trying to get it sorted so I can get to Australia, although it's proving to be a little difficult. I was in Australia the winter before Covid started, I'd love to go back."

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Osborne, who also damaged her ribs and punctured a lung in the Windsor fall last October, has ridden 40 winners and collected £401,111 in prize-money in Britain this year, as well as finishing third in the jockeys' standings in the inaugural Racing League competition.

The rider is set to finish second to Marco Ghiani in this season's apprentice jockeys' championship despite also breaking her tibia.

"It's been a good season and I'm grateful to all the people who have supported me," she said. "It's been a bit frustrating with the injuries I've had but I'm looking forward to next season and trying to improve my riding."

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