RACING chiefs have concluded their investigation after several jockeys, including former champions Oisin Murphy and Jim Crowley, missed breath tests.
The BHA launched a probe after five riders in the space of a few days missed routine alcohol breath tests at Kempton and Wolverhampton last month.
Crowley and three of his weighing room colleagues – Harry Burns, Taylor Fisher and Andrew Elliott – blamed heavy traffic for not turning up at Wolverhampton on August 16.
But five days earlier Murphy, 28, took to social media to explain the reason he’d failed to arrive at Kempton was because he was suffering from a nasty bout of piles.
He explained to Sunracing at the time he felt it necessary to reveal his embarrassing ailment to nip speculation around the reason he missed the breath test in the bud.
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He said he had been having issues throughout the season but that on the day of the test he had noticed a large amount of blood in his underwear and, understandably concerned, he went to the hospital.
Speaking at Lingfield on August 13, where he passed a breath test upon arrival, he said: “It had to be done I’m afraid (posting on social media). It was known by a handful of people but now it’s public knowledge.
“There were questions being asked so I had to do it.
“Haemorrhoids don’t heal overnight but I’m alright.
“There is no pain or discomfort when I’m riding, it’s just the embarrassment of having bloody breeches. I’d seen the blood before but it was a bit more than before so it was a little shocking.
“To be honest, it’s far from ideal as a 28-year-old man to have this sort of thing happen.”
And the BHA have confirmed his version of events and no further action will be taken against any of the jockeys who missed tests.
Speculation had swirled on social media after Murphy missed the breath tests because of his past misdemeanours and issues with booze.
He was banned for 14 months in February 2022 after a serious breach of Covid-19 rules, misleading the BHA and failed alcohol breath tests.
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