The three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy was having his first ride since November 2021 having been suspended for breaking Covid rules and failing two breathalysers
By Jon Lees (Mirror)
Oisin Murphy made a successful start to his comeback from a 14-month ban for alcohol and Covid breaches when he won on his first ride at Chelmsford on Thursday.
The three-time champion jockey said it was “a relatively easy job” after steering the Mick Appleby-trained 15-8 favourite over the winning line in the 6f Winning Connections Network Handicap.
The 27-year-old was riding in a race for the first time since November 2021, having been suspended at a February 2022 inquiry for misleading the BHA when he broke Covid rules by lying about his whereabouts in 2020 and failing two alcohol breath tests in 2021.
Jupiter Express was his only ride on the card as he was due to catch a flight to Qatar to ride at Doha this weekend.
“It’s fantastic to be back,” the jockey told Racing TV. “It’s been a long time but it’s brilliant to be back on the racecourse and to ride a winner as well will help.
“I’m quite fit and I really enjoyed that. Even the banter in the weighing room, I have really missed that.”
