Ex-Champion jockey Murphy considered quitting over blackouts

Three-time British champion jockey Oisin Murphy, who is currently banned from riding, told the BBC he was blacking out from drinking so much last year he considered quitting horse racing. The 26-year-old is barred from riding until next February having received a 14-month suspension in February -- backdated to December 8 -- after admitting breaching coronavirus protocols, misleading the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and prejudicial conduct, plus two alcohol breaches. Murphy, who was widely seen as the natural successor to his idol Frankie Dettori, says he considered hanging up his saddle after several attempts to give up drink failed.

"I might last a week or sometimes a month but it would spiral out of control again," he said. "By the time Goodwood came around in August (2021) I had blacked out every night of that week. "OK, I was probably blacking out very early in the evening so I was fine the next morning, but I really couldn't deal with the pressure and by the Breeders' Cup in November I was ready to stop riding." The Breeders' Cup last November proved to be a positive experience for Murphy as it brought him his first winner in the prestigious meeting.

He produced a superb ride on Japanese outsider Marche Lorraine to win the $2 million Distaff race at the Del Mar track in California. However, he says that even a good day did not prevent him from drinking. "Whether I rode well or poorly that day, whether I had winners or no winners, I dealt with it the same way," he said.