Champion jockey Oisin Murphy cannot reapply for his licence for a total of 14 months after admitting to breaking Covid rules, misleading the British Horseracing Authority and prejudicial conduct, plus two alcohol breaches.

The rider faced an independent judiciary panel on Tuesday in relation to breaking Covid protocols in September 2020, and two failed tests for alcohol in May and October of 2021 – as well as one charge of “acting in a manner which is prejudicial to the proper integrity, conduct and good reputation of the sport”.

Murphy, who did not contest any of the charges, was given three 11-month suspensions for the two Covid breaches and conduct prejudicial to the reputation of the sport, all to run concurrently, along with a £31,111 fine.

He was also given 10 days for an alcohol positive for his test at Chester on May 5th and a further 90 days for another positive recorded at Newmarket on October 8th, meaning he cannot return to race-riding until February 16th, 2023.

In December Murphy temporarily relinquished his licence to tackle his “health issues” in the face of BHA charges relating to his Newmarket failure, plus an additional Chester test earlier in the season, and possible contravention of Covid restrictions.

In a statement at the time, he said: “It became obvious to me and to everyone else that I needed to seek serious help.

“Whether I deserve it or not, many kind people have stood by me and I really appreciate their support. I’m deeply embarrassed and regret my actions.”

BHA statement

After the verdict and penalty was confirmed, the BHA issued the following statement:

“We would like to thank the independent Disciplinary Panel for their careful consideration of the various complex and unique matters which were covered at this hearing.

“Mr Murphy’s breaches of the Rules were extremely serious, reckless and potentially incredibly damaging for the sport. They risked endangering his fellow jockeys and racing industry participants.

“The BHA is proud of the way the industry adapted to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how racing was able to restart quickly and successfully behind closed doors. Mr Murphy’s actions put this at risk. They also occurred at a time when so many people were making great sacrifices to follow the rules and protocols set out by the British Governments and the racing industry.

“Mr Murphy also acted with pre-meditation to deceive the racing industry and public regarding his whereabouts, as well as BHA investigators.

“In their summing up, the independent Panel stated that Mr Murphy’s conduct was unworthy of a sportsman and previous champion, and he had let down his colleagues and the sport.

“We would, however, also acknowledge that Mr Murphy later made full, public admissions regarding these offences, and did not seek to contest the rule breaches at today’s hearing. He also gave full and frank admissions regarding his personal battles.

“All of these matters were considered by the independent Panel in their decisions regarding a penalty for Mr Murphy.

“While it is important that this penalty is served and Mr Murphy’s offences are seen to be acted upon, we would also call on everyone in the sport to respect the admissions that he has made about his physical and mental wellbeing and his need for rehabilitation. The BHA will offer any support that Mr Murphy requests in this ongoing process.

“As with many elite sportspeople, the pressures on jockeys can be significant. We would urge anyone in the racing industry who has suffered from any of the issues outlined by Mr Murphy in the hearing, or who knows of anyone who is struggling, to contact the various support structures that are in place in British racing. These include Racing Welfare, representative bodies such as the PJA, NTF and NARS, the sport’s anonymous RaceWISE reporting line, or the BHA.”