O’Brien: Coolmore to stand by Fallon
Just 24 hours after his race-fixing trial collapsed at the Old Bailey, it was revealed Fallon tested positive for a banned substance after riding Myboycharlie to win the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville on August 19.
Fallon now has to wait for the results of a B sample before learning his fate.
O’Brien is unsure what the future holds for Fallon, but is convinced his employers will again stand by their man in the hope that one of the most talented riders to grace the saddle may yet master his demons.
“I don’t know what will happen, we’ll have to go home and talk to him,” said the Ballydoyle handler. “Kieren, everyone knows, has an addiction problem and had before he came to us. Anybody like that deserves help rather than anything else. Everybody has always helped him, they’ve stood 100% behind him all the way.
“I haven’t talked to him, I talked to him after the court case, that’s all. He was in fairyland at that time, but there’s a long road ahead of him now.”
The 42-year-old rider served a six-month suspension imposed by (French racing authority) France Galop after testing positive for a metabolite of a prohibited substance in November 2006.
The Irish Turf Club, with whom Fallon is licensed, have an agreement with other racing jurisdictions to reciprocate bans of this nature. Fallon was, therefore, unable to ride in Ireland during his previous suspension.
