Kieren Fallon was a special talent who left a mark

A quick sweep of the archives would show it is perhaps not the greatest surprise that Kieren Fallon has called time on his career in the saddle.

One of the most fascinating characters in European racing, Fallon, 51, has endured such extreme highs and lows that it is almost a disappointment he has bowed out with barely a whimper.

Unquestionably a giant of the weighing room, controversy, court cases and advancing years have seen Fallon’s column inches shrink with every passing season, and also his opportunities to ride on the biggest days of the year.