How did you spend your 31st birthday? Probably not at Longchamp Racecourse, on the western edge of Paris. Probably not riding three different horses, either. And almost certainly not finishing second, late in the day, wearing a pair of rather fetching striped silks. But then, you’re probably not Oisin Murphy — for whom the job of a jockey doesn’t stop for something as simple as a birthday.

“I certainly didn’t have much time to myself,” says Murphy, who celebrated his 31st last week. “It was a big day’s racing. Although my mother and I did have a bite to eat — a Chinese takeaway, which is quite lavish by my standards! Then I smoked one Cohiba cigar while catching up with Match of the Day and watching Chelsea lose to Arsenal.”

Murphy gets down to Stamford Bridge whenever he can, but the sportsman’s own training — not to mention his unrelenting competition schedule — pales in comparison with that of even the most hard-working footballer.

“People who don’t follow racing closely don’t really understand that, unlike other sports — playing two football matches a week, say, or competing in Formula One at the weekend — a jockey trying to be at the top of their sport really has a daily workload.”

Instagram @oisindmurphy

Instagram @oisindmurphy

There’s no such thing as a free day, says Murphy. He’ll either be meeting with his financial adviser, watching race replays of horses he’s about to ride, studying form or flicking through entries and results. “Or riding,” he adds. “Or travelling. It’s almost impossible to do it all well — but I try. Even watching what you eat.”

Perhaps, then, that Chinese takeaway was more of a celebration than it sounds. But Murphy’s dedication is certainly paying dividends. A five-time British Champion jockey, the Irishman had a sterling start to the season, winning the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia, and also enjoyed a terrific Epsom Derby weekend in June, riding away with the Coronation Cup.

“But then Royal Ascot didn’t go as well as I’d hoped,” he admits. “I’ve been leading rider there in the past, but only had one winner this year. That was quite disappointing. But I’m used to the ups and downs — being a jockey is a rollercoaster.”

For now, at least, the ride is heading upwards again. Last month, he won the Prix Morny at Deauville on a filly called Senorita Bonita. “She’s an absolute star,” he laughs. “And I feel like I’m riding at a high level at the moment. I’m just hoping that the next few weeks go well — it’s obviously a very important stage of the year.”

That would be British Champions Day next month — and a return to Ascot. “I love riding at Ascot,” says Murphy. “It’s been a lucky track for me. And the quality of horses on show there is always really high. It’s probably the one track in the world where jockeys want to win more than anywhere else. And with that prestige, even on a normal day, it’s a good feeling to be successful at Ascot.”

But for Murphy, there is one prize that carries particular weight. When he became British Champion Jockey for the first time in 2019, he felt “a huge sense of relief”. “It’s what everyone who puts their leg across a racehorse wants,” he adds. But the season runs so swiftly that there’s rarely any time to bask in a win. “You don’t get a chance to mull it over and enjoy the success. Also, of course, once you’ve won one championship, you want to prove that it wasn’t a fluke — and win another.”

“Ascot has been a lucky track for me…”

“The bottom line, I suppose, depends on your individual mindset. But, for me? It’s never enough. I need to be winning more and more. I don’t look back and give myself a pat on the back and say ‘well done’.”

This dry, almost dismissive way of playing down past victories calls to mind Congratulations, a viral poem by Lucas Jones — a writer Murphy particularly admires. “He’s just released a really, really good book called I Believe In Miracles,” says the jockey. “And he’s worth following on social media. I think his grasp of modern life and his views on the world are something many of us can engage with and comprehend.”

There are other poets on Murphy’s bookshelf, too. He often turns to the works of American poet Sylvia Plath, citing Poppies in July as his favourite of her poems — “although I know it’s quite dark,” he adds. But it’s easy to see why Murphy connects with Plath’s work, much of which touches on the more destructive side of life.

Instagram @oisindmurphy

“It’s well-documented that I have caused destruction in my life,” says the sportsman. “I’ve twice been suspended for long periods — three months and fourteen months. I have crashed a car whilst drunk. I have made many errors. But now, I’m over 500 days sober.”

But getting to this point has meant confronting some uncomfortable truths. “Drink was my problem,” he says, “but drink was also my solution. And that got me in a lot of trouble. But, for anyone who’s reading this, I’m happy to give them more insight. I wasn’t a morning drinker, so I didn’t think I was an alcoholic, and I ignored the fact that I blacked out regularly. Yet, even with the best intentions, I failed to drink like a normal person. It had grave consequences for my relationships and — as is obviously well-documented — for my career.”

But life in the saddle has never been for the faint-hearted. Murphy arrived in England from Ireland as a 17-year-old in October 2012, joining Andrew Balding’s yard and beginning the long apprenticeship of becoming a top-level jockey.

“I have caused destruction in my life…”

By the time he was 19, he had landed in Dubai, where he spent almost six months riding and, away from home, learning to fend for himself. “I struggled there, I was a bit lonely — didn’t have lots of people to hang out with. But it toughened me.”

There were also spells in Australia, where he struggled with weight management early in his career, as well as stints in Hong Kong and Japan. It was in the latter that he landed one of his biggest prizes, winning the Japan Cup in 2019. “That was excellent, kind of achieving my dream. It had been an ambition I had since I was in my early teens to get to Japan — as they only accept the best riders in the world.”

Of which Murphy is unequivocally one. But these days, he seems less interested in chasing the next high than in making sure he can enjoy it when it comes. It’s a lesson that has taken him some time to learn.

Instagram @oisindmurphy

“I used to live by this mantra that ‘life is short’ and you must enjoy it. But I probably learnt to enjoy it in a destructive way. And it’s amazing that, due to that destruction, I don’t remember many of the good days. So, if I had to give three words of solid advice with regard to everything — money, relationships, life choices — they would be ‘pause, pray, proceed’.”

‘Poetry’, too, could easily be added to Murphy’s list of ‘P’ words — as, indeed, could ‘plates’, for another of the jockey’s passions is fine dining. He may have settled for a takeaway for his recent birthday, but Murphy relishes the chance to go and eat out.

“I love a good meal,” he says. “I could probably write restaurant reviews for many of the top places in West London! I think Scott’s is outstanding, as is the club of which I’m a member across the road: George’s.”

Both delectable options. So perhaps — before the year is out — Murphy can book a table and enjoy a belated, proper birthday meal. And who knows? After British Champions Day, there may well be more to celebrate.

Want to discover more about British Champions Day? Learn more here…

Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out how here.