U.K. champion jockey Oisin Murphy is suspended for 14 months

Jockey Oisin Murphy, winner of the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff aboard Marche Lorraine, was suspended for 14 months by the British Horseracing Authority.

Eleven months of the suspension are related to Murphy's actions regarding COVID protocols. A statement from the BHA said he was found to have been misleading about his travel destinations and that he broke self-isolation requirements.

He was suspended for an additional 100 days after two findings of alcohol above the allowed limit in May and October.

The suspensions are back-dated to Dec. 8, when Murphy turned in his jockey license and paid a fine of $42,154. He will be eligible to re-apply for his license on Feb. 16 next year.

Murphy did not contest the charges, the Racing Post reported. He told an independent judicial panel that his drinking was "out of control" but that the problem is under control now after he sought professional help.

The winner of major races in eight nations on three continents, Murphy, 26, has won the last three British flat-racing championships. He also was the top apprentice jockey in the U.K. in 2014.