Fallon's touch of magic

Champion Kieren Fallon had to wait until the concluding Saiffe Joseph & Sons Handicap for a success on the Lenny Lungo-trained Magic Combination at Newcastle today to maintain the status quo with Richard Hughes, who had earlier been successful on Parkland, in the jockeys’ championship.

Fallon was taking his score to 116 for the Turf season, a lead of 14 over Hughes, and he said: “At this stage of the season and with going like it was today it is good to have one winner and anything else is a bonus.

“Magic Combination did very well to win, we were nearly buried on the bend and I thought we had it – I won this race for Lenny a couple of years ago too.”

Fallon begins a 13-day suspension on Friday, and he went on: “In one way it is not so bad because I will be going to Japan at the end of the Turf season, so it will not do any harm to have a break now.

“I have been invited to ride in the World Jockeys’ Challenge out there and of course Golan may run in the Japan Cup so it will be nice to get some more experience of the tracks beforehand.”

Lungo said: “Kieren has ridden winners for me before, I think he rode four or five one season, and I was very pleased when he became available to ride Magic Combination.”

“I have got my jumpers in now, but it will be steady away and about eight weeks before we really get going on the racecourse.”