Murphy has been getting away with “blue murder”, says Haggas

William Haggas told Racing TV viewers on Sunday that champion jockey Oisin Murphy had been getting away with “blue murder for a while” with some of the riding tactics he uses.

The leading trainer voiced his criticisms during a section of Luck On Sunday that focused on Murphy being crowned champion jockey for a fifth time at Ascot on Saturday.

Haggas described the 30-year-old as the best around but balanced that with some strong comments about his conduct.

He was particularly unhappy with the ride that Murphy gave Corinth in a maiden at Sandown in August. The combination finished first past the post, winning at the main expense of Loz Vegas (trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam) and Harry Davies.

The stewards at Sandown reversed the placings, concluding that the interference was accidental and caused by Corinth racing green. The colt was having his second run.

“He is an outstanding rider, but he’s got away with blue murder on the racecourse for a while,” Haggas said. “He’s a complicated soul, unfortunately, but as a rider there is no doubt he is the best around.

“There was an example that really, really upset me. I've been very upset over the past few years with the professional foul that jockeys do; that sort of leaning across a horse and then pulling the stick through and winning by a length.

“But if you are on a you’re on a bicycle in a bicycle race and you have to stop suddenly, then you can't actually get going again.

“When [the] horses [then] win by a length, they say ‘well it's won too easily’ [to be disqualified]. The jockeys know and they do it a lot.

“The incident with Corinth at Sandown, I thought he [Murphy] deliberately made sure that Harry Davis didn’t win that race. It got taken off him, but to say that was accidental is complete and utter madness.

“We have to step on this sort of thing because that, in my opinion, was bordering on dangerous. If he'd [Davies] fallen and gone to hospital, they would have made a song and dance about it. That is not the way to be riding from our champion jockey.”

Murphy won his fifth Jockeys’ Championship in runaway fashion this year but is facing a suspension as last week he was referred to the British Horseracing Authority after he was found to have used the whip above the permitted level aboard Gladius at Newmarket last weekend.

Murphy’s ride was considered by the Whip Review Committee, which found he used his whip once above the permitted level of six from one and a half furlongs out.

As this was to be his fourth suspension within the previous six months for using his whip above the permitted level, his penalty will be decided by a BHA judicial panel.