Oisin Murphy Defends Honesty After Goodwood Stewards Inquiry

Jockey Oisin Murphy, riding the Irish-trained horse Hatteen, finished second to Tom Marquand’s Infraad in the first race of Goodwood’s Qatar Festival on 30 July 2026. A stewards’ enquiry was opened after the winner drifted left, briefly impeding Murphy’s mount. In his testimony, Murphy said, “My horse is running straight… I do not believe I should have lied in order to attempt to have the result called in my favour.”

The panel concluded the interference was accidental and upheld the original result. Punters reacted sharply, with some branding Murphy’s testimony “disgraceful,” while others praised his candor. Murphy shared his statement on social media, emphasizing that he would not want to be misled in the same way.