Racing ban 'disastrous' for Fallon, court told

The financial consequences for former champion jockey Kieren Fallon and his dependants will be disastrous if his current racing ban is upheld, the High Court heard today.

Earlier this month, Fallon, 41, was suspended from riding in Britain by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) until the conclusion of his trial on criminal charges of conspiracy to defraud or until further order.

The six-time champion condemns that decision, and that of the HRA’s appeal board to uphold it, as unfair and unreasonable.

His counsel, David Pannick QC, told Mr Justice Davis in London: “Mr Fallon is entitled to put his case before he is suspended and before he suffers from the serious detriments that flow from that.”

He said that Fallon, who has been described by Flat trainer Aidan O’Brien as the best jockey in the world, was not young and was near the end of his career.

Prohibiting him from racing in the UK until the end of 2007 was effectively going to end his career as a leading jockey as his prestigious retainer from Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle Stables was unlikely to continue if he was suspended.

Coolmore Stud chiefs have made it clear that the reason they retained a jockey like Fallon was to ensure that he rode their horses in all races and in particular the “big Group One races in England”.

Being able to ride overseas was no substitute.

Mr Pannick said that if the ban was upheld, the financial consequences for Fallon and his dependants would be “disastrous”.

Once he lost the Coolmore retainer, racing in Ireland would provide him with a very modest income as a jobbing jockey, which would not meet his existing financial commitments to his dependants, which were in excess of £200,000 (€292,500) a year.

Those court orders could, of course, be varied, he said, but variation would mean Fallon’s children would have to leave their schools and they and their mother would lose the matrimonial home because the jockey would not be able to keep up payments.

Fallon was not in court for the hearing, which is likely to end today.