The Fingal Raven

The win rate sits at 12%, or roughly 1 in every 8 races, which is modest on paper. But context matters. Trainer Jamie Osborne, whose yard at Upper Lambourn has sent out 48 winners this season alone, was talking about this horse in glowing terms as early as March of its two-year-old career — comparing it to Toast Of New York, a horse that went on to compete at the very highest level internationally. That is an extraordinarily bold thing to say about a young horse, and Osborne admitted he had put his reputation on the line with it. The Fingal Raven then went and lost its first two races, which must have made for some awkward conversations with owners Dominic Griffiths and David Kavanagh.

But Osborne was not wrong — just early. The horse finally delivered at Kempton Park in September 2024, and the trainer's relief was palpable. He had spotted natural pace in the horse from the beginning, had briefly wondered whether it might be good enough for Royal Ascot, and then had to quietly shelve that ambition when the timing did not work. A disappointing run at Goodwood followed, before Kempton finally gave everyone the glimpse they had been waiting for. The most recent win came at Meydan in January 2026 — a Dubai track that rewards horses with genuine speed — which rounds out a picture of a horse that can perform on the biggest stages when conditions suit.

Jockey Saffie Osborne — the trainer's daughter — has been the regular partner throughout, riding in 11 of the 16 races and picking up both wins. That is an 18% win rate together, or almost 1 in every 5 races, which is considerably better than the horse's overall record suggests. The partnership clearly works. The one frustration is that The Fingal Raven has yet to win at Class 3 level in three attempts — the step up in quality has so far proved a ceiling rather than a target. With the horse still active and racing just yesterday, the next chapter is very much still being written.