
Oisin Murphy to ride in €636,000 race day after court appearance
The Kerry jockey is to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday on charges of drink driving and failing to take a roadside test after a car crash in April.
Murphy was charged by postal requisition on June 19 with one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol and one count of failing to co-operate with a preliminary test at the roadside by Thames Valley Police.
The charge is in connection with a single vehicle road traffic collision at about 12.05am on April 27 when a grey Mercedes A Class left the road and crashed into a tree in Hermitage, West Berkshire, the force said.
Murphy has been booked to partner New Century for owners Qatar Racing, who the British champion jockey is retained rider for, in the Grade 1 at Saratoga on Friday.
The $750,000 (€636,000) contest is run over 1m1f and has a post time of 10.45pm Irish time.
Murphy rode New Century in all seven of his starts when he was trained in the UK by Andrew Balding. He also steered the three-year-old to Grade 1 success in Canada last September when winning the Summer Stakes at Woodbine.
New Century has since moved to American trainer Brendan Walsh and finished third on stable debut under Irad Ortiz Jr in the Grade 1 American Turf Stakes back in May.
Murphy has ridden more winners than any other jockey in the UK this year and leads the jockeys championship with 55 victories. He rode five winners at Royal Ascot last month.
The British Horseracing Authority said in a statement after the announcement of the charges: "The BHA is aware of an update issued by Thames Valley Police this afternoon regarding Mr Oisin Murphy.
"We are now seeking to gather as much information as possible in order to consider what, if any, implications there are as a result of this development."
Murphy has four rides at Thirsk on Wednesday, but isn't in the saddle on Thursday, the day he is due in court.
He will return to England from the States for six rides at Sandown on Saturday, including Almaqam in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse.
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