Champion jockey Oisin Murphy tested positive for metabolites of cocaine in July of 2020, later revealed that a sex partner was likely responsible for the positive test and was absolved of taking the drug himself, and eventually wound up with a three-month suspension from France-Galop which will end in March of 2021.
He retained his championship title in 2020, but this week Murphy candidly revealed to the Racing Post's My Sporting Mind podcast the struggles he endured mentally during the latter half of the season.
“I felt like the world had turned against me, over something I didn't really mean to happen,” Murphy said. “When I went to America [for the Breeders' Cup] I was hoping I'd done enough to win the jockeys' championship and by the time I rode in my last race, I wasn't sure if I wanted to ride again.”
Help came from fellow top jockey Frankie Dettori in the form of supportive messages, as well as the rest of his family and friends.
“I remember feeling the season was going to be defined one of two ways – I could fight on or let my season, my year, crumble to nothing,” Murphy summarized. “I knew I was going to get the ban, but I also knew that if I didn't win the jockeys' championship it would have been a season when I allowed everything that was going on around me to defeat me.”
Read more at the Racing Post.
The post ‘I Wasn’t Sure If I Wanted To Ride Again’: Oisin Murphy Reveals Mental Struggles After Drug Positive appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
