Oisin Murphy | Horse Racing Free Tips

QIPCO British Champions Day Virtual Preview Evening

A virtual preview evening to celebrate the 10th edition of QIPCO British Champions Daywill be held live on the QIPCO British Champions Series Facebook page from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Sponsored by QIPCO and the Tote and hosted by ITV Racing’s Francesca Cumani, the preview evening will raise money for charity Racing Welfare. Other panelists will be Chris Dixon (Racing TV), Kevin Blake (Sky Sports Racing), Lee Mottershead (Racing Post), champion jockey Oisin Murphy, and Jamie Hart (Tote). All viewers are encouraged to make a £5 donation to the Racing Welfare COVID-19 emergency appeal.

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Oisin Murphy Could Face Long Ban After Positive Drug Test, Vows To Clear His Name

Top European jockey Oisin Murphy could face a long suspension after a urine test taken from the rider in France this summer was found to contain cocaine metabolites. Murphy said France Galop has indicated the positive came from the authority's A test and that its B test (split sample) results have not yet been released to him.

Murphy has subsequently had hair tests done which have not found the presence of cocaine, and he maintains he has not taken the drug.

Hair tests are primarily used to look for the presence of substances over a longer period of time than blood or urine tests and are not generally thought of as any more sensitive than blood or urine tests.

Previously, riders testing positive for cocaine by the authority have faced bans of six months.

Murphy Tests Positive For Cocaine, Vows Innocence

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has said he will “fight to clear his name” after it was revealed on Thursday that he had tested positive for metabolites of cocaine at Chantilly on July 19, the card during which he partnered The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) to finish second in the G2 Prix Robert Papin. Murphy said he has “never taken cocaine.” If found guilty, he could face a lengthy ban from the saddle; Frankie Dettori was sidelined six months in 2012 after testing positive for cocaine in France-he admitted to using the drug–while Rab Havlin failed a drug test in that country in 2017, resulting in nearly 10 months out of the saddle.

Murphy was informed of the positive on Aug. 19, at which time he organized a hair sample test that came back negative. Those results have been shared with France Galop.

A statement from Murphy read, “I have never taken cocaine in my life and will fight to clear my name. I want to thank those who are supporting me and in the meantime I want to keep riding winners and focus on my career.”

Speaking on Racing TV later on Thursday, Murphy said, “I had to release a statement today as the story had got round, but it is a weight off my shoulders. I’d been riding to the best of my ability and had a great week last week, but something needed to be said today–and I’m pleased it’s out there.

“People will examine every ride now, and if I give one a bad ride, they’ll probably say it’s because of this, but I have a brilliant support team and I am innocent. I think those closest to me believe in my innocence, so I’ve been able to push it out of my head.

“I’ve got to trust in France Galop and try to carry on as normal. A lot of important things are going on in the world at the moment, and this is crucial in my career, but it’s out of my control. I don’t come into contact with drugs, I didn’t ever expect to hear from France Galop, BHA or wherever else I ride around the world. I don’t even take pain killers–I take an inhaler, and that’s about it. I don’t know the next steps. I’ll have to hear back from France Galop, which could take a few weeks. In an ideal world the headlines wouldn’t have come out today– we could have waited until we had a clearer picture–but now we have to wait on the ‘B’ sample.”

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Quarantine Exemption Possible for Jockeys Competing on Arc Weekend

British jockeys may yet be exempt from two weeks of self-isolation after competing at ParisLongchamp on Arc Weekend Oct. 3-4. The British Horseracing Authority is making a submission to Public Health England on Tuesday. Currently due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, anyone traveling back from France is required to self-isolate for seven days under the elite sportsperson’s exemption rather than the normal fortnight. If the exemption is allowed, stable staff and trainers would also be included along with jockeys. If the exemption is not granted, many high profile riders would not be eligible to compete on Future Champions Day on Oct. 10.

“Our COVID-19 protocols are kept under constant review,” said a BHA spokesman. “The existing protocols around elite sportspeople and essential support staff–which includes jockeys, trainers and stable staff–travelling to countries with self-isolation restrictions allow for the period of self-isolation to be reduced to a minimum of seven days upon completion of the necessary testing.

“We are currently looking at these protocols with a view to making a submission to Public Health England that they might be adjusted, which may include a full exemption from self-isolation for the purposes of training and competition if a strict testing regime and rigorous travel and separation protocols are adhered to.

“We will look to provide further updates in the next 24 hours.”

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