According to the latest announcement by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the Hong Kong racing scene will welcome four highly acclaimed international star jockeys this winter. Saffie Osborne, Maxime Guyon, Rossa Ryan, and Dylan Browne McMonagle have been granted visiting jockey licences and will arrive in Hong Kong in phases, adding further star power to Hong Kong’s already world-class jockey roster.
These four renowned jockeys have collectively captured numerous British Classics, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and multiple Champion Jockey titles. They are expected to arrive in succession starting in November: Saffie Osborne, the first female jockey to win a British Classic, will make her first appearance in November; Maxime Guyon and Rossa Ryan will join the fray in December; and Dylan Browne McMonagle will make his much-anticipated return next January. Timed perfectly with the most thrilling phase of the Hong Kong racing season, Osborne, Guyon, and Ryan will all be in time to participate in the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) week festivities, which includes showcasing their skills in the flagship LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, 9 December.
Saffie Osborne (Stint: 8 November 2026 to 23 December 2026) The 24-year-old Saffie Osborne is a rapidly rising British star and the daughter of former British jump jockey and current trainer Jamie Osborne. She has accumulated 394 winners to date (including Group races in Britain and Italy), boasting a 12% win rate this season. Earlier this month, she partnered with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Highway Hero to capture the 250th British St Leger (2905m Group 1), making history as the first female jockey to win a British Classic. Furthermore, she has twice won the Shergar Cup, and in August this year, she led the Great Britain and Ireland team to victory against the Rest of the World in Ascot. Osborne is highly honoured and looking forward to the invitation: “This is a goal I have always dreamed of. I have never visited Hong Kong, but everyone in the industry follows the racing here closely, and the atmosphere looks incredible. I hope to learn new things here and become a better jockey, and of course, I am very eager to ride some winners.”
Maxime Guyon (Stint: 2 December 2026 to 8 February 2027) The four-time French Champion Jockey is a global superstar, having amassed nearly 3,400 winners in his 21-year career, including 58 Group 1 victories. Guyon is a familiar face to Hong Kong racing fans, having secured 15 wins in Hong Kong last season alone. As early as 2011, he partnered Ambitious Dragon to sweep both the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m). He has also won the Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) three times, aboard Flintshire (2014), Junko (2023), and Synergy (2025). Guyon stated: “Hong Kong is an ideal place for jockeys to ride, and the standard of racing is extremely high. I hope to win a Group 1 or other major races here. If I can achieve 10 to 20 wins over this winter stint, that would be a very ideal result.”
Rossa Ryan (Stint: 2 December 2026 to 28 February 2027, excluding 26 December) The 26-year-old Irish standout Rossa Ryan is a former British All-Weather Champion Jockey, with 1,201 career wins and a 15% strike rate. He has claimed five overseas Group 1 races, including the July Cup (1200m), Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1000m), Prix Vermeille (2400m), and the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He has formed a formidable partnership with Juddmonte’s filly Bluestocking, winning approximately HK$33.96 million (£3.24 million) in prize money together. Embracing his first true overseas stint, Ryan said: “I am ready to turn a new page. Heading to Hong Kong this winter, I will focus on managing my weight and fitness, understanding how other jockeys ride, and doing everything I can to perform at my best.”
Dylan Browne McMonagle (Stint: 6 January 2027 to 28 February 2027) Regarded as one of world racing’s most exciting rising stars, the 23-year-old Dylan Browne McMonagle hails from Donegal. The former Irish Champion Jockey has already won Group 1 races across Ireland, Britain, the USA, France, and Germany. In July this year, he rode the Joseph O’Brien-trained Early Snow to victory in the Irish Oaks (2400m Group 1). He enjoyed a successful stint in Hong Kong last season with 10 wins and was a teammate of Saffie Osborne on this year’s winning Shergar Cup team.
Comments from HKJC Management Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing at the HKJC, noted that Hong Kong has consistently boasted one of the strongest jockey rosters globally, including nine-time champion Zac Purton, 2017 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Hugh Bowman, and four-time Tony Cruz Award winner and HKJC Apprentice Jockeys’ School graduate Vincent Ho. He emphasised: “All four of these riders have achieved remarkable success at the highest level, and their addition perfectly reflects the high international regard for Hong Kong racing.” Harding concluded that Osborne’s historic St Leger victory sent shockwaves through the racing world; Guyon is arguably one of the most outstanding jockeys of his generation; McMonagle is the reigning Irish Champion Jockey; and Ryan has proven his calibre on the world’s grandest stages. Their presence in Hong Kong from November through to the end of February next year (covering the LONGINES HKIR) will undoubtedly elevate the competitiveness and spectacle of racing at Sha Tin and Happy Valley.
Sourecs: HKJC