How many chances does Oisin Murphy need? The drink driving charge is the latest bleak chapter in a disheartening story

Scottish Sun

5 hours ago

TURF TALK How many chances does Oisin Murphy need? The drink driving charge is the latest bleak chapter in a disheartening story
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HOW many chances does Oisin Murphy need?
Of course, I must caveat this entire column by saying he has not been found guilty, or admitted guilt, to the Thames Valley Police charges of drink driving and failing to provide a roadside breath test.
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Oisin Murphy has been charged with drink driving
Credit: Getty
He will appear in court next week, and if he does plead guilty he will lose his drivers' licence and could, in theory, face more serious punishment. We will have to wait and see how it plays out.
But his career has been chequered, to say the least.
Let's first consider the positives — Murphy is a tremendous talent.
He was one of those jockeys who always looked destined for the top while he was an apprentice, and he shot to prominence with a four-timer on Ayr Gold Cup day as an 18-year-old.
He was given the opportunities and took them, ending up as stable No1 to Andrew Balding and as retained jock for Qatar Racing.
Murphy, 29, is aware of his obligations as one of our leading jockeys to engage with the public, and he does it very well on social media.
His ability was on full show at Royal Ascot, when he rode five winners and was especially lethal over the straight track.
But it was during the Royal meeting that a letter dropped onto his doormat from the Crown Prosecution Service saying they were charging him, and so began the latest bleak chapter of one of racing's most disheartening storylines.
It is quite clear there is another — how can I put it — less polished side to Murphy than the one you see in public. I've experienced it first hand over the years.
Of course it is sad to see a person struggle with an addiction to alcohol — I know what it's like to battle addiction — but if it transpires he had been drinking and got behind the wheel of a car, it's hard to comprehend.
Murphy needs help as he quite clearly isn't ready to help himself.
He has the world at his feet, but it appears he can't stop pushing the self-destruct button.
And too many people around him have covered for him and brushed his issues under the carpet. And they keep surfacing again and again.
First, he was banned for three months in 2020 for testing positive for cocaine. He said he was contaminated after having sex with a girl who had taken the drug, so he was given a lenient sentence.
Then issues with the bottle began to surface.
He failed multiple breath tests and — as exclusively revealed in Sunracing on 2021 Qipco Champions' Day — was involved in an ugly scrap outside a boozer in Newmarket.
This was after he had completely disregarded Covid-19 regulations to travel to Mykonos, Greece, in the September of 2020, which, at that time, was on the government's 'red list'.
He lied to the BHA about where he had been, returned to the UK and went straight back into the weighing room without isolating himself, potentially putting his colleagues at risk of infection.
He was banned for 14 months, during which time he did a lot of media work and spoke about his problems with drink, how he had started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and would never touch the stuff again.
So when he was re-granted his licence, the BHA attached strict conditions, including increased breath testing and a requirement for Murphy 'to remain sober'.
After all, it was not that long ago that Graham Gibbons was blamed for a pile-up at Kempton which left Freddie Tylicki in a wheelchair, and in court it was alleged his breath smelled of alcohol on the day. In racing, riding while even slightly impaired is incredibly dangerous.
More recently, eyebrows were raised when Murphy failed to turn up at Kempton Park for scheduled alcohol breath testing because, allegedly, he was suffering from especially painful haemorrhoids which required A&E attention.
He was back in the saddle shortly after and, as far as I'm aware, the old Chalfont St Giles haven't bothered him to the same extent before or since the missed test.
And now he has been involved in a car crash while allegedly over the limit with a passenger in the car — there has been a theme of apparent disregard for the safety of others which is unacceptable.
Is it just 'demons'? Or, which is an uncomfortable question to pose, does he just not care?
If he is found or pleads guilty on Thursday, the BHA will have no option but to immediately suspend his riding licence in my view.
Every time Murphy has done something wrong, his actions have been excused one way or another. How many more chances does he need?