I feel overwhelming sadness for Oisin Murphy – and there's only one person who can truly help him
Some of you won't be surprised, some of you won't care and some of you will think he deserves everything he gets.
Advertisement
2
Matt Chapman says Oisin Murphy's current state - after his drink-drive charge - is just a sad situation for all involved
Credit: Alamy
However some of you, like me, will just be saddened it's come to this for an outstanding champion.
It was on Thursday when news broke
Shortly afterwards, many on my social media demanded I should speak out against Murphy, someone whose ability I have always respected.
Unlike those on social media, I never feel I'm in a position to hammer those who struggle in life.
Advertisement
I'm just not that perfect myself, and it always surprises me how many appear to live such perfect lives that they can annihilate others so easily.
Of course, there is a difference between right and wrong, and, at the time of his car accident, Murphy had a female passenger in his vehicle.
The Thames Valley Police appeal for witnesses after the crash said the girl suffered 'serious injuries' but I know no more details and nothing about her recovery, or if she was seriously injured at all.
I also don't know how Murphy will plead next Thursday.
Advertisement
Most read in Horse Racing
Some say he could even be looking at a prison sentence.
Personally, I don't see how that would help him or society at all, but that's just my opinion and others will differ.
What I do know is — as I have said — I feel an overwhelming sadness for Murphy.
I felt the same after the death of Pat Eddery.
Advertisement
His passing had a real effect on me, as I knew Pat well.
Pat had drink issues but, in many ways, it appeared to me some encouraged Pat to turn to booze rather than try to stop him.
I will always believe more could have been done but, ultimately, Pat himself needed to change.
It's the same with Murphy.
Advertisement
2
Gone but never forgotten... my good mate Pat Eddery
Credit: PA:Press Association
On a racehorse he's magical and makes a difference. He is on another level to most riders.
But off a racehorse, Murphy has clearly struggled over many years.
The people who know him, both personally and professionally, have to look at each other and wonder what more we can do to help.
Advertisement
Yes… help. Murphy needs more of it.
Some would counter that he's had many chances already, and there is no doubting he has.
But demons are demons. I have mine, you have yours. More can always be done to help another human being rid themselves of theirs.
OK, now onto Saturday's racing.
Advertisement
The Northumberland Plate takes some sorting out — and Willie Mullins' unexposed runner
Pappano
adds to the intrigue.
Andrew Balding's
Who's Glen
has been backed and will go well.
James Owen has the terrier
East India Dock
as well as
Charging Thunder
and interesting roughies
Lavender Hill Mob
and
Shajack
.
Yet the one who interests me is
ZANNDABAD
(3.15, Newcastle) for Tony Martin.
Advertisement
My fancy doesn't have a great draw but will surely be dropped out for a late run under Jim Crowley.
On the Flat he was sixth in the 2024 Ascot Stakes — where he didn't get the 2m4f — off 94.
He was also sixth in the Irish Cesarewitch later that season off the same mark, where he was never placed to challenge but kept on nicely.
A mark of 93 for this race is more than workable.
Elsewhere at Newcastle all eyes will be on Group 1 victor
Kind Of Blue
in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes over 6f.
Advertisement
Kind Of Blue
is the class act but he also makes the market interesting for an each-way poke.
I'll give
ALYANAABI
another chance as I think he's been crying out for this trip and it's the first time he has gone the distance since his racecourse debut, which he won well.
He returned this term over 7f at Haydock and made most of the running to win, but he then flopped at the same track last time.
Hard to predict but a place chance for Crowley again but this time for Owen Burrows.
Advertisement
Like Zannadabd, Alyanaabi has never run on artificial before.
Good luck all… and Yeeehaaa!
FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Read more on the Irish Sun
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare –
Gamble Aware –
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Husband suffocated to death by his 220lb wife after she fell out of bed on top of him & left him wedged against wall
Neighbours were alerted to the tragic situation by the woman's screams BED TRAGEDY Husband suffocated to death by his 220lb wife after she fell out of bed on top of him & left him wedged against wall A MAN has sadly died after his 220lb wife lost her balance and fell on him in a tragic accident. The 59-year-old, described as slight in build, was reportedly smothered to death after his wife fell out of bed and got wedged against a wall. 3 The tragic events unfolded in Campanha Credit: Alamy 3 Neighbours were alerted to the tragic situation by the woman's screams Credit: Alamy 3 Portuguese cops have investigated, but determined it was a freak accident Credit: Alamy She is said to have stumbled as she got out of bed and crushed her partner who had been lying on the floor. Neighbours were alerted to the tragic situation by the woman's screams after she became trapped between the bed and the wall. They are said to have rushed to their help in the early hours of Monday morning. The neighbours managed to lift her off him, but he was already unconscious by the time firefighters and paramedics got there. Efforts of medical responders to revive him after he went into cardiac arrest were unsuccessful. The woman's weight is believed to be a key factor in why she was unable to get up after getting trapped. It took five men to lift her off her partner, Portuguese daily Correio da Manha has reported. The tragic events unfolded in Campanha on the outskirts of Porto. Portuguese cops have investigated, but determined it was a freak accident and ruled out foul play. One source close to the investigation said: "It's been categorised as an accidental asphyxia. Popular influencer couple killed in horror off-road crash in 'the beautiful mountains they loved so much' in Canada 'It's obviously a very unusual death but there was no criminal intent. "It was a stumble by the woman as she got out of bed and tried to move closer to her husband who was lying on the floor that led to what happened." The dead man's partner is understood to have been offered grief counselling. They had lived together as husband and wife for several years, according to local media reports. However, they had not been formally married. It comes after more than a dozen people have been hospitalised after eating the poisoned sandwiches from a food truck in Italy. Two people have sadly died after biting into the food near the town of Diamante in Calabria. Nine people are being investigated in relation to this, it is understood. The food truck where the sandwiches were sold has now been seized.
The Journal
4 days ago
- The Journal
Trump's Washington takeover begins as National Guard troops arrive in US capital
SOME OF THE 800 National Guard members deployed by US president Donald Trump began arriving in Washington DC today. It comes after the White House ordered federal forces to take over the city's police department and reduce crime in what the president called – without substantiation – a lawless city. The influx came the morning after Trump announced he would be activating the guard members and taking over the department. He cited a crime emergency – but referred to the same crime that city officials stress is already falling noticeably. The president holds the legal right to make such moves for at least a month. Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged to work alongside the federal officials Trump has tasked with overseeing the city's law enforcement, while insisting the police chief remained in charge of the department and its officers. 'How we got here or what we think about the circumstances – right now we have more police, and we want to make sure we use them,' she told reporters. The tone was a shift from the day before, when Bowser said Trump's plan to take over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and call in the National Guard was not a productive step and argued his perceived state of emergency simply did not match the declining crime numbers. Still, the law gives the federal government more sway over the capital city than in US states, and Ms Bowser said her administration's ability to push back was limited. Military personnel depart the District of Columbia National Guard Headquarters as Trump implements his order to use federal law enforcement and the National Guard in Washington Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Meanwhile, attorney general Pam Bondi called the Tuesday morning meeting productive in a social media post and said the justice department would 'work closely with the DC city government' to 'make Washington, DC, safe again.' While Trump invokes his plan by saying that 'we're going to take our capital back', Bowser and the MPD maintain that violent crime overall in Washington has decreased to a 30-year low after a sharp rise in 2023. Advertisement Carjackings, for example, dropped about 50% in 2024 and are down again this year. Bowser, a Democrat, spent much of Trump's first term in office openly sparring with the Republican president. She fended off his initial plans for a military parade through the streets and stood in public opposition when he called in a multi-agency flood of federal law enforcement to confront anti-police brutality protesters in summer 2020. She later had the words 'Black Lives Matter' painted in giant yellow letters on the street about a block from the White House. In Trump's second term, backed by Republican control of both houses of Congress, Bowser has walked a public tightrope for months, emphasising common ground with the Trump administration on some issues. She watched with open concern for the city streets as Trump finally got his military parade this summer. Her decision to dismantle Black Lives Matter Plaza earlier this year served as a neat metaphor for just how much the power dynamics between the two executives has evolved. Now that fraught relationship enters uncharted territory as Trump has followed through on months of what many DC officials had quietly hoped were empty threats. Bowser contends that all the power resides with Trump and that her administration can do little other than comply and make the best of it. For Trump, the effort to take over public safety in Washington reflects an escalation of his aggressive approach to law enforcement. The District of Columbia's status as a congressionally established federal district gives him a unique opportunity to push his tough-on-crime agenda, though he has not proposed solutions to the root causes of homelessness or crime. Trump's declaration of a state of emergency fits the general pattern of his second term in office: He has declared states of emergency on issues ranging from border protection to economic tariffs, enabling him to essentially rule via executive order. In many cases, he has moved forward while the courts sorted them out.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over ‘significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul
Cops found 19.7kg of the Class A drug at his family home LOCKED UP Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over 'significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul A FORMER football star who was caught with millions of pounds worth of crystal meth has been jailed for 14 years. Michael Boateng, who began his youth career at Crystal Palace, was arrested on Valentine's Day last year after police found 19.7kg of the Class A drug in a sports bag at a flat he shared with his girlfriend and infant son. 5 Michael Boateng has been jailed for 14 years for his 'significant role' in a multi-million pound crystal meth operation Credit: PA 5 Close to 20kg of the Class A substance were found in a bag at a flat he was living in with his girlfriend and two-month-old son last February Credit: PA 5 Boateng admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September Credit: Alamy A court ruled he played a "significant role" in an organised crime group as the former footballer was sent down for more than a decade. The 34-year-old - who had become a successful personal trainer after his playing career, with clients including England star Jadon Sancho - admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September. Boateng, donning a blue prison t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, sat motionless as the judge read out his sentence. His girlfriend - who is the mum to the pair's now 18-month-old son - shook her head in disbelief as the sentence was confirmed. Croydon Crown Court head on June 20 how Boateng had been "doing well" while working as a personal trainer between 2018 and 2023. However, he was issued with an Osman Warning from the Metropolitan Police in 2022 - a warning which indicates an immediate threat to one's life. Representing the defence, Paul Crampin told the court how Boateng was informed of a "credible threat against his life". This then caused his partner at the time to "essential refuse him access to their family". After "cutting him off completely from his son", Boateng suffered from a period of stress and depression, Crampin said. He added that this led to drug use, including Class A substances, with Crampin saying he was then "involved in the small scale supply of drugs to essentially people he knew". Ex-Premier League star Ronnie Stam jailed for seven years in multi-million pound drug-smuggling probe This was done to "fund his own Class A drug habit", the defence said. Boateng was stopped by police officers in Bromley, south London, in September 2023 after acting suspiciously. He then ran from the cops down a dead-end road before a dog unit found a snap bag - which had been thrown over a garden wall - containing 19 wraps of cocaine. John Carmichael, prosecuting, told the court how a search of Boateng's flat in Croydon found 14 additional wraps of cocaine, 32 tablets of MDMA and one block of 22 grams of MDMA. The overall street value of the cocaine and MDMA stood at between £3,000 and £4,180, the court heard. Cops also found 26 bags of ketamine, with a street value of £260 to £520 and £1,570 in cash. Boateng said nothing at interview and later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine. He was granted bail on the condition he abided by a curfew and reported regularly to a police station. However, his story took a further turn after police raided the former football star's new address in Croydon - where he was living with his girlfriend and their two-month-old son - on Valentine's Day last year. A Slazenger sports bag with 19.7kg of crystal meth was found in the hallway of the property. CCTV footage also showed Boateng arriving seven days earlier, dumping the bag in the same position it was found in, after being handed the bag outside the home. The court heard that while the crystal meth had a wholesale value of between £200,000 to £400,000, its street value could range from anywhere between £1,182,000 and £2,364,000. Mr Carmichael said: "He is clearly trusted within an organisation, holding onto a significant amount of drugs." While the defence did not dispute the weight of the drugs the former footballer possessed, they argued it could not be ruled out that Boateng was not a victim of "coercion or intimidation" from organised criminals when holding onto the drugs. However, Judge Daniel Flahive told the court it was clear Boateng played a "significant role" within an organised crime group, saying this position was "not a matter of negotiation". He added: "He had some awareness and understanding of the operation. This does put him squarely in the significant book. "At the moment I can't see how this falls into a lesser role." 'YOU WERE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DRUG DEALING ENTERPRISE' In his closing statement, Judge Flahive said: "You were playing a significant role in the drug dealing enterprise. Your role was not minimal. "The amount of drugs we are talking about, just shy of 20kg, the value at street level, we are talking potentially millions of pounds. "The reason for the 14 years will be to reflect the sheer quantity of drugs you were looking after in the period of time and reminding myself this was an offence that was committed while on bail for the earlier case. "When you are released you will be subject to licence, the licence will have conditions attached to it. You can go down now." Right back Boateng was a youth player at Crystal Palace between 2005 and 2007 before he eventually made his senior debut for Tonbridge Angels while on loan from Bristol Rovers in 2011. The star then had stints at Sutton United, Bromley, Newport County and Whitehawk before he was dismissed from the latter after being charged following a match-fixing probe in December 2013. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in June 2014 and the following January got a lifetime ban from football. He was then jailed again in June 2015 for drug dealing. Boateng had appeared as a co-host on the podcast series "Banged Up" which explored life inside Britain's prison system. He had spoken candidly about his wish not to reoffend and stay out of trouble. 5 Boateng played a 'significant role' in an organised crime group, the court heard
