Andrew Balding pledges ongoing support for Oisin Murphy
Murphy was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after being sentenced at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday, with the 29-year-old having pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.
He later issued a statement apologising for his actions, saying 'there is no excuse for what I did', while the British Horseracing Authority confirmed he is free to continue riding amid plans to place new conditions on his licence.
Balding, who has a long and successful association with Murphy, enjoyed a Friday treble at Sandown, from where he told Racing TV: 'He'd made them (details of the case) known in advance, but obviously we were hoping that what we were hearing was accurate and that was the case.
'Obviously it's not an ideal situation for him or for us or for anyone really, but I really hope that we can take this as a point to move forward and I know he'll be working closely with the BHA and we'll be giving him all the help and support we can to try to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.'
Murphy travelled to America to partner former Balding inmate New Century in the Belmont Derby at Saratoga on Friday night, but is scheduled to be back in action in Britain on Saturday for seven rides at Sandown, including Charlie Appleby's 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court in the Coral-Eclipse and three booked mounts for the Balding team.
When asked if he would continue to support Murphy, the trainer added: 'Yes, of course. Everyone makes mistakes, but I think as long as there's an intent to improve going forward, we're all behind him.
'It's for the regulator to put in what they want to see going forward and let them deal with it.
'We have (had a long, professional relationship with Murphy) and we expect higher standards than that. It was a very unfortunate incident and I hope that's the end of it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
36 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Keane anticipating whip suspension for Sandown ride
Six is the limit in British Flat racing, so his case will go to the British Horseracing Authority's whip review committee next week, with the breach carrying a possible 14-day suspension. Depending on if and when that is imposed, Keane may miss the opportunity to partner Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. 'I'd imagine (I will be suspended) but it's my own fault,' he said. 'I'm so used to eight (strikes) as it is at home, I just have to abide by the rules here. 'That's the only way I can put it, I know six is the amount over here but when I was in a ding-dong battle, I suppose it just went out of my head unfortunately. 'It's unfortunate but it's my own fault.'
Leader Live
36 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Delacroix denies Ombudsman in Eclipse thriller
A quality field of six runners went to post for a Group One contest that traditionally gives the Classic generation a first chance to meet their elders and this year's renewal was no exception, with four three-year-olds taking on two top-class older horses in Ombudsman and Sosie. Ombudsman was the 6-4 favourite to supplement his brilliant success in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and quickened up to lead inside the final furlong – but having looked to be struggling at the rear of the field early in the straight, Derby disappointment Delacroix (3-1) came with a wet sail under a power-packed Moore drive to get up by a neck. What. A. Race. This. Was. 🫨 DELACROIX GETS UP TO BEAT OMBUDSMAN AND WIN THE CORAL-ECLIPSE 🏆 — ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 5, 2025 'It wasn't the first or the second or the third plan! He began OK, but nobody really wanted to make the running and there was three of us in a line,' Moore told ITV Racing. 'Me and William (Buick, on Ombudsman) wanted the same position and I had to give way. He was on an older, bigger horse so I thought we'd wait and go around. 'They got first run on me and he's obviously a very good horse with a good turn of foot. He quickened up really well. 'I think 10 furlongs is fine and if anything he could probably run over shorter. He's a horse we've always held in high regard and he was the only horse in this race that hadn't won a Group One, but he'd threatened to and he's obviously out of a great racemare (Tepin) and by Dubawi.' O'Brien said: 'Incredible, I thought Ryan was going to make the running on him. Obviously you don't tell Ryan what to do, but you listen to what he's saying, so when I saw it all changing I didn't know what would happen or what to make of it. 'He ended up where he did and it just kept ringing in my mind that during the week Ryan said to me 'Aidan, I think this horse is a miler', and I always thought he was a mile-and-a-quarter horse. 'As the race went on that was what was ringing in my head, is he a miler or is he a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but obviously Ryan stuck to his judgement because he kept calm and had one go. 'What he did in the last two furlongs looked very different. It was a very good race, the second horse is a very good horse and when you get a four-year-old rated as high as that, you need a three-year-old that's a bit different to beat them. 'Ryan said he changed plans four times in the race today. He found himself where he was but he was calm and collected and clinical.' Paddy Power cut Delacroix's odds for the Juddmonte International at York to 5-1 from 16-1, with Ombudsman a 4-1 shot and Field Of Gold the 5-4 favourite. While plans for Delacroix remain up in the air, he looks set to either stick to a mile and a quarter or even drop back in trip. 'He's hardy so you shouldn't be afraid to race him, but the lads (owners) will decide what they want to do,' O'Brien added. 'They stacked them up in front today and he came with a deadly run, it was incredible what he did – mind-blowing. 'I don't think going back to a mile would worry him, but if they decide to keep him at a mile and a quarter I would be delighted. 'When you can relax like that and quicken like that over a mile and a quarter, it's very potent and a brilliant thing to have up your sleeve.'
Leader Live
37 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Keane anticipating whip suspension for Sandown ride
The Irishman was riding Windlord in the Listed Gala Stakes for his chief employers Juddmonte when he appeared to give the horse eight strikes when battling for a narrow victory – a figure that would have been permissible in Ireland. Six is the limit in British Flat racing, so his case will go to the British Horseracing Authority's whip review committee next week, with the breach carrying a possible 14-day suspension. Depending on if and when that is imposed, Keane may miss the opportunity to partner Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. 'I'd imagine (I will be suspended) but it's my own fault,' he said. 'I'm so used to eight (strikes) as it is at home, I just have to abide by the rules here. 'That's the only way I can put it, I know six is the amount over here but when I was in a ding-dong battle, I suppose it just went out of my head unfortunately. 'It's unfortunate but it's my own fault.'
