Paul Carberry promises to address alcohol problem after failing breath test
Top National Hunt jockey Paul Carberry has promised to address his problems with alcohol after failing a second pre-race breath test at the weekend.
The 35-year-old jockey was stood down by the stewards before the first race at Naas in Ireland on Saturday (31 October) after failing a random breath test.
This is the second time Mr Carberry has been over the alcohol limit at the races in the past two years.
In 2007 he was stood down by stewards at the Galway Festival, and received a three-day ban.
“I feel nothing but sincere regret for my actions. I have let down myself, my trainers and the owners who employed me to do my job. This is the second time being in this situation and I will have to address this problem immediately,” Mr Carberry said in a statement.
“Alcohol will not interfere with my work again and I plan to take the necessary steps to address this recurring problem. I would like to again stress my apologies to everyone affected by actions today.”
Grand National winning jockey Paul Carberry is retained by Noel Meade in Co Meath.
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Mr Meade told The Guardian newspaper: “It’s obvious Paul has a problem that he is going to have to address and from the conversation I had with him yesterday he seems to have realised that and will be doing all he can. If he’s going the right way, then we’ll all do whatever we can to support him in that.
“Things are going to have to change. It is probably going to take quite a while. It’s a struggle that has probably been going on for him for some time but it’s come to the end of the line now and he’s going to have to kick it for good.”
The matter has been referred to the referrals committee of the Irish Turf Club and disciplinary action is expected to be announced in the next couple of weeks.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.