Fallon update.....

[my miss storm cat]

I was afraid of that. I just thought maybe texts... maybe it could be argued....

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RP...

The suggestion Fallon was deliberately trying to lose races 'simply ridiculous'

by Shenai Raif

THE suggestion that Kieren Fallon was deliberately trying to lose raceswas "simply ridiculous", a betting scam trial was told on Wednesday.

Fallon was six times champion jockey and a man "driven to win", said his barrister, John Kelsey-Fry QC.

Fallon listened a few feet away as Mr Kelsey-Fry told a jury at the Old Bailey: "He is a man driven by the desire to win."

Fallon and five others are accused of plotting to make 27 horses lose in order to win money on bets.

But the prosecution say he ended up owing the crooked betting syndicate money because he won five of his 17 races.

Mr Kelsey-Fry said: "The very fact that a man described as the greatest jockey of his generation ends up unable to help winning when he is trying to lose is simply ridiculous."

Fallon had, in fact, won more races - an average 29.4% - during the time of the alleged conspiracy, than the 19% he normally averaged.

Mr Kelsey-Fry said this meant Fallon's winning rides were 150 times higher "when he was trying to lose than when he was trying to win".

It alleged that the six defendants were involved in a conspiracy with others between December 2002 and September 2004 to defraud Betfair customers and other punters.

Fallon, 42, formerly of Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, but now of Tipperary, Ireland, Fergal Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and Darren Williams, 29, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, deny the charges.

Shaun Lynch, 37, of Belfast, former racing syndicate director Miles Rodgers, 38, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, and Philip Sherkle, 42, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, also plead not guilty.

Rodgers also denies concealing the proceeds of crime. All the defendants are on bail.

The defendants in the case have been allowed to sit next to their lawyers in the well of the court during the rest of the trial.

Mr Kelsey-Fry was addressing the jury after the judge invited defence counsel to make a speech following the prosecution opening of the case.

Fallon and the two other jockeys, Fergal Lynch and Williams, are alleged to have passed on information to syndicate boss Rodgers that their rides would lose.

Fallon is alleged to have used intermediaries to pass on information but Mr Kelsey-Fry said he was only talking to friends about races.

He said: "Nothing wrong with that. If you're champion jockey six times, you will find, you readily accept, the whole world wanting to know your opinions about every horserace there is.

"You will hear evidence demonstrating that Mr Fallon was content to do so to any number of such people."

Mr Kelsey-Fry said Fallon had even been asked for his opinion in a BBC interview before he rode in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France at the weekend.

He won on Dylan Thomas but had fancied another horse, Soldier Of Fortune, because of the soft ground.

Mr Kelsey-Fry said the prosecution case showed "signs of desperation".

Earlier, Peter Kelson QC, for Rodgers, told the jurors that there were factors in the prosecution which would cause them anxiety.

The officer in charge of the inquiry, and who is soon to retire, had been offered a job with the Jockey Club which had originally called in police to make an independent investigation.

Mr Kelson said: "We submit that this matter goes to the root of impartiality in this matter."

He said Rodgers was a professional and prolific gambler who had not done anything illegal.

He had openly "boasted" of his contacts and made no secret of the fact that he relied on tips.

[NoChanceToDance]

I'm sorry, but if the defence lawyers are going down the road of "the champion jockey" and "a driven man" this will be over very quickly.

The defence lawyers have to remember the fact that Fallon has overcome a drink addiction and has been recently banned for using cocaine.

The champion jockey and being a driven man for success will get them no where.

[brockguy]

this may seem very basic, but it seems to me that Fallon was just a nuisance to these guys.. yeah, he might have said things to people etc etc, but all he did was give these guys the run around and lose them money..

nochance, i suppose the defence has to say those things re: champion jockey etc.. for the jury to show just how high up he was in horse racing.. But yeah, its defo not the best pillar to rest a case upon..

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by brockguy

this may seem very basic, but it seems to me that Fallon was just a nuisance to these guys.. yeah, he might have said things to people etc etc, but all he did was give these guys the run around and lose them money..

nochance, i suppose the defence has to say those things re: champion jockey etc.. for the jury to show just how high up he was in horse racing.. But yeah, its defo not the best pillar to rest a case upon..

There is every chance that could be true, but even so, you'd think he was intellgient enough not to get involved at all. Whether he was giving them the run-around or not.

People don't seem to understand what this case means to racing. Regardless of Fallon. If the BHA/Jockey Club lose this case they will be a laughing stock, jockeys will not be able to be charged with race fixing ever again. The fans will think they are a weak organisation and people will start to wonder whether the sport is safe within their hands.

They have put to much money into this.

I know the Fallon fans will probably be blind to this, but if he wins this case, British racings integrity is down the pan. People are already losing faith with the BHA and this will be the final straw.

I've said it once before and i will say it again. Racing cannot possibly win whatever the outcome. If Fallon is found guilty, we have lost a fantastic jockey (even though a cheat). If Fallon wins the trial, we will have lost faith in our governing body, racing fans will be asking themselves if they can trust them, they will wonder if they can bet without thinking of let off cheaters pulling the same stunts.

I'm being serious when i say this case could break the bone of British racing.

[brockguy]

the Ballinger Ridge race was on the news tonight.. Fallon only looks around twice. once at the furlong marker where he looks behind and starts to ease. the problem with this was that Rye was on the rails and it is entirely plausible that Fallon just didnt see Rye. He was still easing down when he looked round again, saw what was happening and started to shake up the horse and lost on the nod.. You dont deliberately lose a race on a headbobber..

regarding a point we discussed earlier about keeping winning distances low to protect their handicap mark. I know that the handicapper nearly always looks beyond the winning distance but jockeys nearly always try to do it and Ive heard plenty of trainer state their unhappiness when a jock wins by too far..

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by brockguy

the Ballinger Ridge race was on the news tonight.. Fallon only looks around twice. once at the furlong marker where he looks behind and starts to ease. the problem with this was that Rye was on the rails and it is entirely plausible that Fallon just didnt see Rye. He was still easing down when he looked round again, saw what was happening and started to shake up the horse and lost on the nod.. You dont deliberately lose a race on a headbobber..

regarding a point we discussed earlier about keeping winning distances low to protect their handicap mark. I know that the handicapper nearly always looks beyond the winning distance but jockeys nearly always try to do it and Ive heard plenty of trainer state their unhappiness when a jock wins by too far..

The problem is that he did lose though. He did lose a race he should have won with ease. Combine that with the huge amounts that Rodgers placed on the horse to lose and it doesn't take a genius to realise that something was wrong with the ride. It isn't like Fallon to ease up so far from the line. With Fallon there isn't such a thing as horses travelling on the bridle. He is the McCoy if the flat. Yes, to lose by a headbobber is impossible, but if you watch the race closely, it does appear for a couple of strides that Rye will win by much more than a short head.

I do realise that trainers dislike jockeys winning by too far, but as i have heard handicappers on many ocassions it really makes no difference. In fact i've heard handicappers say they will be more harsh on horses who have won when heavily eased because it can sometimes appear that they could have won by much further than they actually could. Easing a horse down to win by a length can (on the majority of occasions) look more impressive than the vicotry of a horse having to be ridden out by four or five. From what i remember willie muir saying after that race, he didn't seem to care, he was just very unhappy with the ride and thought he (ballanger ridge) should have won easily.

[brockguy]

I just hope that Fallon got caught up in an extremely sticky situation re: ballinger ridge. He thought rye would win and told people, the race itself was basically a 2 horse race, so you can why the gang laid him heavily to lose.. Im just trying to think. He cost them so much money. what would have happened had he won this race.. even more.. it was a massive error of judgement and he deserved the huge amount of criticism, but it may of been Fallon getting caught up big time... this is the only ride out of the 17 or so that fallon rode in that is under suspicion at all. He made a huge error of judgement and quite possibly, this race is the reason he is involved in this situation. hence me believing that he is either the stupidest person in the world or the unluckiest..