Oisin Murphy, made a successful return to racing at Chelmsford after serving a 14-month suspension. He rode the 15-8 favourite Jupiter Express, trained by Michael Appleby, to victory in a six-furlong handicap.
Murphy had been banned due to violating Covid-19 regulations and having twice been found to have exceeded the alcohol limit. In order to maintain his license, he must submit to regular testing to ensure that he remains abstinent from drugs and alcohol. Murphy is scheduled to ride Flaming Rib for trainer Hugo Palmer in Qatar this weekend, and he has further trips to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain planned in the coming weeks.
In December 2021, when he was charged by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Murphy voluntarily surrendered his license to seek assistance. He faced five charges, including two related to failed alcohol tests in May and October, and separate accusations of misrepresenting or attempting to misrepresent his whereabouts to the BHA between September 9 and 12, 2020, as well as accessing a racecourse in violation of Covid protocols and engaging in behavior that was detrimental to the reputation of horse racing.
The Irishman had vacationed on the Greek island of Mykonos in September 2020, which was on the Covid red list at the time, but he attempted to persuade officials that he had been in Italy at Lake Como.