'Ich liebe Deutschland!' Oisin Murphy celebrates biggest win since drink-drive conviction

Oisin Murphy caught his hosts by surprise when he recorded his first Group 1 victory since he was convicted of drink-driving on Sunday.

Earlier in July the four-time champion jockey was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months earlier in July after being almost twice over the legal alcohol limit in a breath test taken nearly seven hours after his arrest.. The 29-year-old pleaded guilty at Reading magistrates court to driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol after the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree, injuring a female passenger, in April.

The conviction led to the BHA imposing stricter conditions on his licence which already included a stipulation to ‘remain sober’ after he completed a 14-month ban for breaking Covid rules and for two alcohol breaches in 2022.

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The four-time champion, who had finished second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, travelled to Germany on Sunday where he steered the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Tornado Alert to victory in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich.

The Godolphin three-year-old kicked away from Map Of Stars to score by two and a half lengths, giving Murphy only his second top level success of 2025.

Murphy had not registered a Group 1 triumph since landing the Lockinge Stakes on Lead Artist in May.

In the post race interview, he gave his initial answers in German, saying: “It’s incredible, he’s a fantastic horse and I love the atmosphere here.” He then added: “Ich liebe Deutschland.” It's not the first time he has displayed his linguistic skills. He also learned Japanese when he rode in the country.

He then said: “It’s fantastic to win on Tornado Alert. We were uncertain he would like the ground but he loved it. He ran very well in the Epsom Derby. He was second at Ascot and today he came to Munich and he was brilliant.”

Bin Suroor said: “He won well, the ground was heavy and he’s never run before on this ground, but he handled it well.”

“I said to Oisin before the race ‘just keep him happy and give him a chance’, but he was travelling good all the way and when he came off the bridle he saw it out well.”

Tornado Alert holds big-race entries in the Juddmonte International at York and the Celebration Mile at Goodwood next month, but Bin Suroor is in no rush to firm up future plans, adding: “We’ll see how he comes back after the race and then we’ll make a decision.

He has plenty of speed, but I think a mile and a quarter is his best trip at the moment.”