Hong Kong jockey ranks will receive a significant international boost this winter with four accomplished riders — Saffie Osborne, Maxime Guyon, Dylan Browne McMonagle and Rossa Ryan — granted Visiting Jockey’s licences for the 2026-27 season. The quartet will arrive in stages from November through January, bringing British Classic success, Group 1 experience and championship honours to the city’s racing circuit.
Osborne will be the first to arrive, taking up her Hong Kong stint from November 8 to December 23. Guyon and Ryan will follow in December, while Browne McMonagle will join the riding ranks in January. Osborne, Guyon and Ryan will also be available during the major December international racing period.
The appointments come at an important point in the Hong Kong season, giving racegoers the opportunity to see four riders with substantial experience at some of the biggest meetings in Britain, Ireland, France and beyond.
Hong Kong Jockey Ranks Welcome Historic St Leger Winner
Osborne arrives after a landmark achievement at Doncaster earlier this month. Riding Highwayman for trainer Joseph O’Brien, the 24-year-old became the first female jockey to win a British Classic when claiming the 250th running of the St Leger over 2905 metres.
The victory added another significant chapter to a career that has already produced 394 winners and Group-race success in Britain and Italy. Osborne is also a two-time Shergar Cup winner and helped the Great Britain & Ireland team secure victory at Ascot in August.
Her Hong Kong stint will give the British rider an opportunity to experience racing at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley while competing alongside some of the most established names in the local riding ranks.
At the age of 23, Browne McMonagle has already established himself as an international rider of considerable promise. The Donegal-born jockey is an Irish champion and has collected Group 1 victories across Ireland, Britain, the United States, France and Germany.
His latest major success came in July when he partnered Johanna Walsh to victory in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Browne McMonagle also spent part of the previous season riding in Hong Kong, recording 10 victories, and will return for another spell from January 6 to February 28, 2027.
Guyon and Ryan Add Major International Experience
Guyon brings perhaps the deepest Hong Kong experience of the four. The French rider has recorded almost 3,400 career victories, including 58 at Group 1 level, and has been a four-time French champion jockey.
His association with Hong Kong stretches back many years. He partnered Ambitious Dragon to victories in the Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Cup in 2011 and has also won the Hong Kong Vase three times, with Flintshire in 2014, Junko in 2023 and Sosie in 2025. Guyon will be available from December 2 until February 8, 2027.
Ryan, meanwhile, arrives with a résumé highlighted by his victory in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The 26-year-old Irishman is a five-time Group 1 winner, with major successes also including the July Cup, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and Prix Vermeille.
A former British All-Weather Champion Jockey, Ryan has accumulated 1,201 career victories and will ride in Hong Kong from December 2 through February 28, 2027, apart from the December 26 meeting.
Together, the four riders bring a rare blend of youth, experience and international achievement. Their arrival will add further competition to a Hong Kong riding group that already includes established figures such as Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Vincent Ho.
For Hong Kong racing, the extended presence of the four visitors also means that their impact will stretch well beyond the major December meetings. With their licences running through different periods of the winter, fans will have several opportunities to follow their progress at Sha Tin and Happy Valley.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club said the appointments reflected the international standing of Hong Kong racing, while highlighting the achievements of all four riders at the highest level.
The staggered arrivals of Osborne, Guyon, Browne McMonagle and Ryan therefore promise to make the coming winter an especially international chapter for the Hong Kong jockey ranks.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.
ranks will receive a significant international boost this winter with four accomplished riders — Saffie Osborne, Maxime Guyon, Dylan Browne McMonagle and Rossa Ryan — granted Visiting Jockey’s licences for the 2026-27 season. The quartet will arrive in stages from November through January, bringing British Classic success, Group 1 experience and championship honours to the city’s racing circuit.
Osborne will be the first to arrive, taking up her Hong Kong stint from November 8 to December 23. Guyon and Ryan will follow in December, while Browne McMonagle will join the riding ranks in January. Osborne, Guyon and Ryan will also be available during the major December international racing period.
The appointments come at an important point in the Hong Kong season, giving racegoers the opportunity to see four riders with substantial experience at some of the biggest meetings in Britain, Ireland, France and beyond.
Hong Kong Jockey Ranks Welcome Historic St Leger Winner
Osborne arrives after a landmark achievement at Doncaster earlier this month. Riding Highwayman for trainer Joseph O’Brien, the 24-year-old became the first female jockey to win a British Classic when claiming the 250th running of the St Leger over 2905 metres.
The victory added another significant chapter to a career that has already produced 394 winners and Group-race success in Britain and Italy. Osborne is also a two-time Shergar Cup winner and helped the Great Britain & Ireland team secure victory at Ascot in August.
Her Hong Kong stint will give the British rider an opportunity to experience racing at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley while competing alongside some of the most established names in the local riding ranks.
At the age of 23, Browne McMonagle has already established himself as an international rider of considerable promise. The Donegal-born jockey is an Irish champion and has collected Group 1 victories across Ireland, Britain, the United States, France and Germany.
His latest major success came in July when he partnered Johanna Walsh to victory in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Browne McMonagle also spent part of the previous season riding in Hong Kong, recording 10 victories, and will return for another spell from January 6 to February 28, 2027.
Guyon and Ryan Add Major International Experience
Guyon brings perhaps the deepest Hong Kong experience of the four. The French rider has recorded almost 3,400 career victories, including 58 at Group 1 level, and has been a four-time French champion jockey.
His association with Hong Kong stretches back many years. He partnered Ambitious Dragon to victories in the Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Cup in 2011 and has also won the Hong Kong Vase three times, with Flintshire in 2014, Junko in 2023 and Sosie in 2025. Guyon will be available from December 2 until February 8, 2027.
Ryan, meanwhile, arrives with a résumé highlighted by his victory in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The 26-year-old Irishman is a five-time Group 1 winner, with major successes also including the July Cup, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and Prix Vermeille.
A former British All-Weather Champion Jockey, Ryan has accumulated 1,201 career victories and will ride in Hong Kong from December 2 through February 28, 2027, apart from the December 26 meeting.
Together, the four riders bring a rare blend of youth, experience and international achievement. Their arrival will add further competition to a Hong Kong riding group that already includes established figures such as Zac Purton, Hugh Bowman and Vincent Ho.
For Hong Kong racing, the extended presence of the four visitors also means that their impact will stretch well beyond the major December meetings. With their licences running through different periods of the winter, fans will have several opportunities to follow their progress at Sha Tin and Happy Valley.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club said the appointments reflected the international standing of Hong Kong racing, while highlighting the achievements of all four riders at the highest level.
The staggered arrivals of Osborne, Guyon, Browne McMonagle and Ryan therefore promise to make the coming winter an especially international chapter for the Hong Kong jockey ranks.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.