Fallon probe 'number one priority': Jockey Club
The controversy surrounding Kieren Fallon’s riding of Ballinger Ridge at Lingfield on Tuesday reached new heights following sensational newspaper allegations.
In a four-page spread described as the “sports scandal of the decade”, the News Of The World alleged that the champion jockey told undercover journalists before the race that Rye would beat his mount Ballinger Ridge.
The race caused a storm of controversy because the champion was caught and beaten a short head after easing down when well clear.
He was found to be in breach of racing’s rules in that he failed to ride out for first place, and the matter was referred on to the Jockey Club as unusual betting patterns were reported before the event by exchange firm Betfair.
Rye started the 8-11 favourite, while Ballinger Ridge went off at 15-8.
The Ballinger Ridge investigation is now the Jockey Club’s “number one priority”, according to John Maxse, public relations director at Portman Square.
“The Jockey Club announced on Tuesday that it was investigating the suspicious betting patterns of the race at Lingfield in which Kieren Fallon finished second on Ballinger Ridge,” he said.
“One of the key aims of the investigation is to establish if there was any correlation between the suspicious betting patterns and Fallon’s failure to obtain the best possible placing.
“As part of that investigation the Jockey Club will be interviewing Kieren Fallon.
“The News Of The World have agreed to provide the Jockey Club with the dossier of their own investigation into Kieren Fallon and once we have studied it we will be interviewing the jockey about its contents.”
Fallon at the moment faces a maximum 21-day ban for being in breach of Rule 156 (i), a matter which would have been dealt with by the local stewards had there been no unusual betting patterns reported to racing’s rulers.
There has been criticism in some quarters that Fallon would suffer unfairly and miss a significant part of the turf Flat season if dates for his ban were not resolved before the full investigation.
However, Maxse added: “The Jockey Club will make a decision on Monday as to whether Kieren Fallon’s suspension for failing to obtain the best possible placing on Ballinger Ridge can take effect while the security department’s investigation into the betting patterns is still on-going.
“Paul Scotney, our director of security, is heading the investigation and the matter is at present our number one priority.”
Maxse admitted the affair could have a negative impact on the public’s perception of the sport as a whole.
“The article is potentially very damaging to Kieren Fallon as an individual and, as a result of his status in the sport as champion jockey, there are implications for racing as a whole,” he said.
“But I think it is important to emphasis the article does not actually contain evidence, as I have read it, of race-fixing.
“We have asked the News Of The World for the dossier and we will study it carefully. Having done so, we will be interviewing Kieren Fallon and others as there are areas which clearly warrant us following up.
“There is nothing in the article, though, which overtakes our current investigation, i.e. the Lingfield race on Tuesday and the betting patterns in that race.”
TV betting guru John McCririck has called for Fallon to be suspended pending the investigation.
“While official investigations are under way, the Jockey Club must immediately suspend the riding licences of Kieren Fallon and John Egan (who was also named in the News Of The World article),” he said.
“At the time, as I made clear on attheraces from Lingfield, Ballinger Ridge had been given the most spectacularly inept ride imaginable.
“I called for Fallon to be banned for six months for deliberately easing down a horse and losing a race that should have been won.
“Because of the severity of that penalty, jockeys in future simply wouldn’t dare do it, whatever the motive.”
He added: “If ever widespread corruption in racing is proved, whoever is involved, lifetime bans are the only effective deterrent to reassure the public, whose belief in the integrity of racing can never have been lower.”
But Maxse said: “In order for us to withdraw a rider’s licence, there must be extremely strong reasons for doing so. The evidence published so far in the News Of The World does not warrant us doing that.
“The Jockey Club has already announced that it will be making a decision regarding the issue of Kieren Fallon’s suspension for Lingfield itself.
“The ban for dropping hands has been increased from seven to 14 to 21 days and will soon go to 28 days. Riders have not stopped doing this altogether, but it is not a common occurrence as it only happens once or twice a year.”
A spokesman for betting exchange Betfair confirmed that as part of its agreement with the Jockey Club, information on account-holders who had placed bets on the race had been handed over – as was normal practice.
Jockeys’ Association chief executive John Blake gave his full support to Fallon.
“It’s disappointing that the six-times champion jockey appears to have been targeted in an undercover operation,” he said.
“I have spoken to Kieren this morning and from a private family point of view, he’s very disappointed, and that’s his chief concern at the moment.
“He understood that he would be going to a meeting with an interested party concerning possible sponsorship. That’s how it was put to him.
“He was a bit naïve in going to that, but he went with the best of intentions. Subsequent events have made things very difficult for himself and his family.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that he has received any reward for giving his opinion on certain rides he had, and that there has been a breach of the Rules of Racing.”
He added: “With specific reference to Ballinger Ridge, we’ve been making the running with the Jockey Club to get a hearing going, in which he will almost certainly be given a 21-day ban.
“That in no way frustrates or presents an obstacle in front of the Jockey Club to prevent them from carrying out any other investigation they see fit into suspicious betting patterns.
“I don’t think they have done the sport any favours by publicly announcing it the way they did.
“Those who believe there is a whiff of suspicion about our sport will be hardened in their opinion, there’s no question about that.
“But racing had six million race goers last year, there was record turnover, increased television coverage and increased sponsorship. So I don’t believe racing is on its knees in terms of public confidence.
“This doesn’t help, of course. But a lot of the current betting patterns that are being reported have, I believe, always taken place, but because of the new transparency that has become a bit more public.
“People may think this is new information and that there must be some new wave of corruption, but it doesn’t work like that.”
Blake went on: "Kieren was a bit naïve in going to that meeting, but he joins a list of people who have been caught up in that.
“There doesn’t seem to be any hard evidence that Kieren has done anything.
“John McCririck is the arch critic of jockeys’ behaviour, but he badgers and baits them on the Morning Line to say which one is going to win.
“If you follow the Rules of Racing, the jockey has probably been paid for that interview, so is strictly speaking in breach of the Rules.
“We all know that it is a television interview in a controlled programme, but the point to be made is that jockeys are in the culture of talking to people.
“These bits have to be taken out and analysed and the question asked, ‘has there been any breach of the Rules, and is there any hard evidence of that fact?’
“I don’t think there is, but by weaving it into an ongoing story and bringing up some issues from Kieren’s past, then of course it becomes sensationalised.
“I still think public confidence will be behind the six-times champion jockey.”
Ballinger Ridge’s trainer, Andrew Balding, said today he was “slightly shocked and surprised” by the News Of The World allegations.
But he added: “Having watched the race countless times, I still firmly believe it was an error of judgement by Kieren.
“I can safely say that both myself and the owner wanted the horse to win badly and we have another chance to put things right on Tuesday.”
The five-year-old is due to run again in the Cashbacks @ Bet Direct Interactive Median Auction Maiden Stakes at the same venue.
“Martin Dwyer rides. The only reason Kieren rode was that Martin was in India, but he is back now and will take over,” added Balding.
The News Of The World alleged that, three hours before Tuesday’s race, Fallon unwittingly told their undercover journalists: “I’m actually down as the favourite. It’s not very good. The horse of Jamie Osborne’s is going to win the race. A horse called Rye.”
The newspaper claims Fallon gave his opinion on other races but “declined a cash payment” for such information.
It quotes him as saying: “If you are on this, then there are no limits to the bets …. It’s not illegal for you, it’s illegal for us. As long as you don’t give me money.”
The newspaper also reported Fallon’s lawyer as claiming his client had done nothing wrong.
“Kieren Fallon believed these journalists were members of the public,” he is quoted as saying.
“As many jockeys do on TV on a daily basis, he gave them his views as to the chances of horses he was riding.
“These opinions were based on external factors which could affect their chances. He received no money for this and the way he rode the horses was in no way influenced by the information he had imparted.”
In an interview with the Daily Mirror on Friday, Fallon had said: “I’m very sorry for what happened on Ballinger Ridge and I apologise to punters who backed the horse.
“The last 48 hours have been a living hell for me.
“I read in the newspapers that there were suspicious betting patterns before the ride, but I can assure anyone who thinks I’m linked up with that sort of thing that they are barking up the wrong tree.”
