A PETRIFIED jockey has received a storm of chilling death threats.
They warned that he’d be killed in the dark, and that the same would happen to his family.
Jack Osborn revealed this frightening attack exclusively to SE, and added a powerful personal statement to explain why he was living in great fear of his life.
The 22-year-old rider is in a quiet location after his name was linked to an eight-minute video placed on social media, which showed racing’s new superstar jockey surrounded by lines of cocaine at a training centre drugs party.
The video was posted shortly after Benoit da la Sayette had brilliantly won the Unibet Lincoln Handicap on Haqeeqy at Doncaster last Saturday for his boss, iconic Newmarket trainer, John Gosden.
The video clearly showed Benoit smiling and enjoying himself with others at the party, but he categorically insists that he didn’t use the Class A drug on that occasion, or at any other time.
It’s been confirmed that the video was secretly recorded at a rave-up in Lambourn, Wilts., in October 2019, when Benoit was 16.
A highly respected, multi-millionaire trainer is currently supporting Osborn at his large Southern stable, but he cannot be named for safety reasons.
Osborn’s deeply apologetic statement says…
“I want to clarify my alleged involvement in the video that has circulated of jockey Benoit de la Sayette.
“On Monday night, I received the video, and inadvertently shared this on my Snapchat account.
“That is the extent of my involvement. I did not create the post. I was not involved in the creation, or wording, of any captions that the post contained.
“I also want to reiterate that I had no involvement in the creation of any Twitter account. It was on social media, and in the public domain.
“As soon as I realised the backlash from what I had shared,I removed the video immediately.
“I subsequently deleted my Snapchat account following a number of abusive messages, and death threats aimed at me, and my family.
“There was certainly no malicious intent, and I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused anyone.”
Osborn has so far ridden 13 winners in his short racing career, and is the prodigy of the late iconic Henry Cecil, and proudly recalls the morning he rode the legendary Frankel on the Newmarket gallops.
He said: “Henry Cecil inspired me, and helped me so much to get started.
“My biggest thrill was riding the great Frankel up Warren Hill. For a jockey there can be nothing better than that.”
Osborn joined Newmarket trainer, John Ryan, as an apprentice after leaving the nearby British Racing School.
Name that Toon was his first winner, at Chelmsford, in 2015.
Meanwhile, a well-connected racing administrator said last night that “a highly-respected racing personality, well known to the public, is aware of what’s been going on. He knows the lot.”
It’s understood that there are at least two videos yet to be released that were recorded at the Lambourn cocaine party.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/horse-racing/money-pours-in-for-burrows-saint-as-punters-back-willie-mullins-to-strike-in-grand-national-at-aintree-next-weekend
