Oisin Murphy surprised his hosts by clinching his first Group 1 victory after his conviction for drink-driving. The champion jockey was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months in July for driving under the influence. The incident occurred when he was significantly over the legal alcohol limit during a breath test taken hours after being arrested for crashing into a tree in April.
Following the conviction, stricter conditions were imposed on Murphy’s license by the BHA, which already required him to stay sober. This came after he served a 14-month ban for Covid rule violations and two alcohol-related breaches in 2022.
Despite finishing second at the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Ascot, Murphy claimed victory in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich aboard the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained horse, Tornado Alert. The three-year-old from Godolphin triumphed over Map Of Stars by two and a half lengths, marking Murphy’s second top-level win in 2025.
Before this, Murphy had not secured a Group 1 win since his victory at the Lockinge Stakes with Lead Artist in May.
In the post-race interview, Murphy initially spoke in German, expressing his joy for the win and his admiration for the horse and the atmosphere in Germany. He praised Tornado Alert for performing well despite uncertainties about the ground conditions, highlighting the horse’s previous strong showings at Epsom Derby and Ascot.
Trainer Bin Suroor commended Tornado Alert’s performance on heavy ground, emphasizing the horse’s adaptability and Murphy’s skill in riding him. Tornado Alert has upcoming entries in the Juddmonte International at York and the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, but Bin Suroor plans to assess the horse’s condition before confirming future races, indicating that a mile and a quarter may be the best distance for the horse at present.