Murphy hoping to get back on the Champions Day roll of honour

Oisin Murphy will be crowned champion jockey for a fifth time at Ascot next week on Qipco British Champions Day, when surprisingly he will be searching for his first winner at the meeting since 2018.

The late Roaring Lion’s victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was the last time Murphy tasted success on the showpiece card.

Potential mounts such as Almeric in the Champion Stakes, Never So Brave in the QEII and Flora Of Bermuda are all quality but not among the favourites, giving an indication of how hard it is to reach the number one spot on British racing’s big day.

Murphy said: “I haven’t had a winner on Champions Day since the late Queen presented me with the trophy when I won on Roaring Lion in 2018, so that feels like a lifetime ago.

“Hopefully I’ll have a few nice rides for Andrew Balding. It’s a great day’s racing, hopefully the weather will be nice and I urge people to come along if they can do so.”

Murphy was speaking on the day his new book, ‘Sacrifice: A Year in the Life of a Champion Jockey’, was released. In it he attempts to document life behind the scenes for a top rider and also speaks candidly about issues that have seen him make headlines not always for the right reasons.

“From the outside looking in everything might seem fantastic, but I can promise you they are long days and it’s a real battle to stay motivated, particularly when things aren’t going well,” he told talkSPORT.

“If you get beaten on a few horses, I know hard-earned cash is being bet on my rides every day and I want to do the best not only for the people I’m riding for, but also the betting public. It can be a dark trip home when I haven’t ridden very well.

“The book was a process that took place every day, particularly in the build up to Royal Ascot when my mood wasn’t great and I was feeling the pressure. I’m not great to be around when I’m like that and I hate myself afterwards for not being more level-headed.

“I was open and transparent in the voice notes I was sending to James (Hogg, ghostwriter) and he was telling me it was quite out there and checking I was OK with it, but I wanted to give people an insight into me and I hope it doesn’t depress people too much.

“I take riding horses seriously, maybe too seriously, and the bigger picture is this is just horses galloping around a field. Far worse things are happening in the world, but when you live and breathe it, it is hard to put it into perspective.”

Murphy’s well-documented out-of-saddle problems have included misleading the British Horseracing Authority about his whereabouts during Covid and being fined £70,000 in July this year after pleading guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court to driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol. He was also banned from driving for 20 months.

He added: “Unfortunately for me a lot of my issues have been public. This book is 2024 and I felt a huge amount of pressure when we began the book to win the championship because I thought it would be a failure if I didn’t, so thankfully we got that over the line and hopefully it’s an insight into the life of a professional sportsman.”

When asked what he thought was behind his troubles, Murphy said: “The urge for escapism, to get away from the feelings of not riding at my best or being beaten on favourites, I’m slow to grow up but I’m 30 years of age now so it’s about time I pulled my socks up.”