Fallon arrested in police swoop

Champion Irish jockey Kieren Fallon is one of the three riders arrested today as part of an investigation into alleged race fixing, according to the BBC.

Fellow Irish jockey Fergal Lynch was named as another of those arrested. The third arrested jockey is named as Darren Williams. North Yorkshire-based trainer Karl Burke was also arrested.

More than 130 police officers raided 19 addresses across Suffolk, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Hertfordshire today and arrested a total of 16 people for alleged conspiracy to defraud.

The investigation centres on suspicions of corruption within horse racing and fixing the outcome of races.

It is understood the allegations involve more than 80 races over the last two years.

Of the 16 arrests, eight were made in South Yorkshire, three in North Yorkshire, three in Suffolk and

two in Hertfordshire, a police spokesman confirmed.

Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilmott, of City of London Police, who are heading the probe, said: “Of the people we have arrested three are jockeys and one is a horse trainer.

“We have amassed a large amount of information, including computer records and documentation seized today, and will now commence the detailed task of examining it all.”

City of London Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Bowron said: “The City of London Police are leading this complex investigation with assistance from police in Suffolk, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

“We are leaders in the investigation of economic crime and are very experienced in dealing with large-scale fraud cases.

“We are very pleased to have taken the lead role in this operation, which spans the whole of the country. This case is of great national significance, not just to the racing community, but to the wider public throughout the UK.”

Those arrested were still in custody and the investigation was continuing, police added.

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “South Yorkshire Police are assisting the City of London Police in a joint operation. A number of arrests have been made across South Yorkshire this morning.

“These persons are being detained for questioning at police stations across the county.”

John Maxse, director of public relations at the Jockey Club, said: “This is an investigation which was initially handled by the Jockey Club, then it was passed on to the City Of London police earlier this year.”

Jockeys’ Association chief executive John Blake told BBC News: “It appears very serious indeed.

“The police have amassed a huge amount of evidence which they will now go through. It does seem strange to me on first sight of that, that they have not done that prior to these dawn arrests and we will wait to see the outcome of that.

“Of course it is very damaging to the reputation of racing, very damaging to the reputation of trainers and jockeys potentially and it’s a great concern to us.

“The Jockey Club itself licenses the jockeys and trainers and as a consequence of that they have their own proper disciplinary process to call upon and it seems at this point that this process has been leapfrogged and become a police matter, because to my knowledge no jockeys have been involved in an investigation into this.”

Betting guru John McCririck told ITV News: “This so undermines the integrity of racing and could not have come at a worse time.

“What has brought this all to the surface is the emergence of the exchanges, where you can not only back horses but also lay them to lose. Previously, only bookmakers could lay a horse to lose, you had to have a licence and there weren’t too many of them.

“Now anyone can go on the exchanges and lay a horse to lose for whatever reason. But there is now a paper trail and all the business of the exchanges is opened up to the authorities. In the old days the bookmakers kept very quiet and protected the confidentiality of their clients.

“But it is the image of racing that suffers. We have the position with athletics and with swimming that whenever a record is broken, people think what drugs are they on?

“That’s what you think of straight away rather than what a fantastic achievement. People will be asking was that race crooked and was that horse trying? That has been the cry down the centuries about horse racing but now it has been brought into these lurid headlines once again.”

Kieren Francis Fallon

Born: Crusheen, Co Clare, February 22, 1965.

Married: to Julie. Children: Natalie and twins Cieren and Brittany.

Apprenticeship: With Kevin Prendergast 1982-7 (rode 38 winners in Ireland); Jimmy FitzGerald 1988.

First winner: Picadilly Lord, Navan, June 18, 1984.

First winner in Britain: Evichstar, Thirsk, April 16, 1988.

First century: 1996.

Champion jockey: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003.

200 winners in a year: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003.

Seasonal totals in Britain: 1988-31, 1989-28, 1990-39, 1991-29, 1992-45, 1993-60, 1994-47, 1995-91, 1996-136, 1997-202, 1998-204, 1999-202, 2000-59, 2001-167, 2002-151, 2003-221.

Derby winners: Oath 1999, Kris Kin 2003, North Light 2004.

1000 Guineas winners: Sleepytime 1997, Wince 1999, Russian Rhythm 2003.

Oaks winners: Reams Of Verse 1997, Ramruma 1999, Ouija Board 2004.

Other big winners: Ali-Royal (Sussex Stakes 1997), Boreal (Coronation Cup 2002), Bosra Sham (Prince Of Wales’s Stakes 1997), Catchascatchcan (Yorkshire Oaks 1998), Chilly Billy (Gimcrack Stakes 1994), Cover Up (Ascot Stakes 2001, Queen Alexandra Stakes 2002), Damson (Phoenix Stakes 2004), Dazzle (Cherry Hinton Stakes 1996), Dilshaan (Dante Stakes 2001), Dr Fong (St James’s Palace Stakes 1998), Embassy (Cheveley Park Stakes 1997), Endorsement (Queen’s Vase 1999), Falbrav (Prix d’Ispahan 2003), Golan (Sagitta 2000 Guineas, Prix Niel 2001, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes 2002), Favourable Terms (Nassau Stakes 2004), Grangeville (Bunbury Cup, Ayr Gold Cup 1999), Guadalupe (Italian Oaks 2002), High Premium (Lincoln Handicap 1993); Independence (Sun Chariot Stakes 2001), Island Magic (Solario Stakes 1993), Islington (Musidora Stakes, Nassau Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks 2002, Yorkshire Oaks, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf 2003), King’s Best (Sagitta 2000 Guineas 2000), Medicean (Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Eclipse Stakes 2001), Midnight Line (Musidora Stakes 1998), Mine (Bunbury Cup 2002), Mr Dinos (Gold Cup 2003), Nevisian Lad (July Stakes 2003), Ouija Board (Irish Oaks 2004), Princely Venture (Scottish Derby 2003), Pythios (Britannia Stakes 1999), Quiff (Yorkshire Oaks 2004), Red Bloom (Fillies’ Mile 2003), Riyadh (Ascot Stakes 2002), Royal Anthem (King Edward VII Stakes 1998), Russian Rhythm (Princess Margaret Stakes 2002, Coronation Stakes, Nassau Stakes 2003, Lockinge Stakes 2004), Shiva (Tattersalls Gold Cup 1999), Tomba (Prix de la Foret 1998), Top Cees (Chester Cup 1995), Tough Speed (White Rose Park Stakes 2001), Tuning (Ebor Handicap 1998), Yeast (Royal Hunt Cup 1996), Zee Zee Top (Prix de l’Opera 2003).

Main stable: 1993-6 Lynda Ramsden. 1997-9 Henry Cecil. 1999- Sir Michael Stoute.

Other information: Suffered a serious shoulder injury in a fall at Royal Ascot in 2000 that threatened his career, and was out of action for six months.