Kieren Fallon
- Thread starter fonz
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FlobbleDiWobbleGooglyBear
At the Start
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2003
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- 124
I've loved him and loathed him, in equal measure, over the years . . . . . I wish him all the best in retirement.
G-G
Senior Jockey
Says on the Juddmonte FB page due to suffering from severe depression. Hope he gets the help he needs. Fantastic jockey.
Amazing jockey, turbulent man
a career of glory
stable jockey for sir henry, sir Michael, ballydoyle and old days with cumani
5 2000g
4. 1000g
3. Derbys , all of them of substandards ones , all given top rides.
3 oaks
2 arcs
he was a truly top horseman in the gallops, one wonders what more he could have achieved with a better head.
at his best , in the top 3 of the last 30 years.
a career of glory
stable jockey for sir henry, sir Michael, ballydoyle and old days with cumani
5 2000g
4. 1000g
3. Derbys , all of them of substandards ones , all given top rides.
3 oaks
2 arcs
he was a truly top horseman in the gallops, one wonders what more he could have achieved with a better head.
at his best , in the top 3 of the last 30 years.
edgt
Senior Jockey
Wishing him all the best as he was one of the all time greats on a horse.
A flawed genius. At his best he was the best of his generation. I hope he finds calm but will always be remembered as one of the very best.
He had huge character flaws but as a jockey he was brilliant. Tactically aware, very good natural horseman and tremendously strong in a finish.
I have many memories of him - he rode Pontefract better than anyone I've ever seen, getting up late countless times on hold-up Ramsden handicappers - but I have a particular soft spot for him because of what he meant to my dad, who died eleven years ago.
Dad was a mad keen racing man, an inveterate and intrepid punter. Think Ernie Bilko and you wouldn't be far wide of the mark. His sporting heroes were few and far between. The only ones he revered, as far as I can recall, were Hedley Verity (cricket), Jimmy Hagan (football) and Lester Piggott. But, in his mid-seventies - he was born in 1921 - he latched on to Fallon in a big way and regarded him as a genius of a jockey. I lost count of the number of times on racecourses round the country that he'd throw the form book out of the window and more or less back a horse simply because Fallon was riding and he seemed to dig himself out of plenty of financial holes as a result.
He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in March, 2005 and given between three and six months. His reaction - typical of him - was to place an ante-post bet on Harchibald for the 2006 Champion Hurdle after watching him get pipped in the 2005 edition, a race he watched from his hospital bed.
But Dad's last words to me concerned Fallon. In July, 2005, after Scorpion's win in the Grand Prix de Paris, he stuck fifty quid on the horse for the Leger at 9/4. By September, he was in a hospice. The end was clearly nigh and he had a stream of visitors - he was a popular and well-liked man - and every one of them left with his advice to get on Scorpion for the Leger.
On the Monday of Leger week, there was speculation that Fallon would miss the Leger to ride in Ireland and that Dettori would come in for the ride on Scorpion. I saw Dad on the Monday and told him the news. He rolled his eyes a bit. As I went to leave, he said to me: "If Fallon rides, stick me another fifty on." I said I would.
When I visited on the Tuesday, he'd lost consciousness and he died on the Wednesday so those were his last words to me.
Scorpion of course won the Leger with Dettori on board. At the Requiem Mass the following week to laughter the parish priest told the story of the landed ante-post bet, "a sure sign", he said, that Dad "had arrived and got down to work."
He would have been tickled pink that his last words concerned something important like horse racing and betting.
Anyway, that's what Kieren Fallon meant to my dad and because he meant a lot to him he means a lot to me.
I have many memories of him - he rode Pontefract better than anyone I've ever seen, getting up late countless times on hold-up Ramsden handicappers - but I have a particular soft spot for him because of what he meant to my dad, who died eleven years ago.
Dad was a mad keen racing man, an inveterate and intrepid punter. Think Ernie Bilko and you wouldn't be far wide of the mark. His sporting heroes were few and far between. The only ones he revered, as far as I can recall, were Hedley Verity (cricket), Jimmy Hagan (football) and Lester Piggott. But, in his mid-seventies - he was born in 1921 - he latched on to Fallon in a big way and regarded him as a genius of a jockey. I lost count of the number of times on racecourses round the country that he'd throw the form book out of the window and more or less back a horse simply because Fallon was riding and he seemed to dig himself out of plenty of financial holes as a result.
He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in March, 2005 and given between three and six months. His reaction - typical of him - was to place an ante-post bet on Harchibald for the 2006 Champion Hurdle after watching him get pipped in the 2005 edition, a race he watched from his hospital bed.
But Dad's last words to me concerned Fallon. In July, 2005, after Scorpion's win in the Grand Prix de Paris, he stuck fifty quid on the horse for the Leger at 9/4. By September, he was in a hospice. The end was clearly nigh and he had a stream of visitors - he was a popular and well-liked man - and every one of them left with his advice to get on Scorpion for the Leger.
On the Monday of Leger week, there was speculation that Fallon would miss the Leger to ride in Ireland and that Dettori would come in for the ride on Scorpion. I saw Dad on the Monday and told him the news. He rolled his eyes a bit. As I went to leave, he said to me: "If Fallon rides, stick me another fifty on." I said I would.
When I visited on the Tuesday, he'd lost consciousness and he died on the Wednesday so those were his last words to me.
Scorpion of course won the Leger with Dettori on board. At the Requiem Mass the following week to laughter the parish priest told the story of the landed ante-post bet, "a sure sign", he said, that Dad "had arrived and got down to work."
He would have been tickled pink that his last words concerned something important like horse racing and betting.
Anyway, that's what Kieren Fallon meant to my dad and because he meant a lot to him he means a lot to me.
Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Messages
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Touching story, Gus. Your Dad was obviously a man of faith.
As for me, I've never been able to trust Fallon since I watched him (imo) stop a good thing of Stoute's. I was suspicious on the day and my suspicions were confirmed (again, imo) when the horse won a mega-handicap shortly afterwards. Then there was the Ramsay-Top Cees situation which did nothing for the reputations of anyone involved.
I'd rather not have bet anything in a race than bet one of his.
I hope he gets over whatever has been ailing him and goes on to live out the remainder of his days in peace and happiness.
As for me, I've never been able to trust Fallon since I watched him (imo) stop a good thing of Stoute's. I was suspicious on the day and my suspicions were confirmed (again, imo) when the horse won a mega-handicap shortly afterwards. Then there was the Ramsay-Top Cees situation which did nothing for the reputations of anyone involved.
I'd rather not have bet anything in a race than bet one of his.
I hope he gets over whatever has been ailing him and goes on to live out the remainder of his days in peace and happiness.
I'm certainly not painting Fallon as some sort of angel, DO.
granger
Senior Jockey
Luckily he has turned to help rather than seeking an alternative
Good luck to him on the recovery path and anyone with similar issues
Good luck to him on the recovery path and anyone with similar issues
Interesting exchange between Cunningham and Banks on yesterday's Morning Line. Banks had previously made some crass remarks about Fallon's illness which clearly show that he doesn't understand what clinical depression is, equating it in some way to feeling fed up or sorry for yourself. Cunningham called on him a couple of times to apologise but without success.
Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Messages
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I wasn't aware of any lead-up to the discussion but Banks went up in my estimation for calling out Fallon as not being a good ambassador for racing.
(Then again, I wouldn't categorise Banks as a good ambassador for bookies, unless a prime requirement is that they be a w@nk.)
(Then again, I wouldn't categorise Banks as a good ambassador for bookies, unless a prime requirement is that they be a w@nk.)
Banks went up in your estimation for calling out a man who announced he is suffering from depression this week.Good man.
Scurrilous comment.
simmo
Senior Jockey
In DO's defence, I suffer from clinical depression and I don't think anyone will be calling me a good ambassador for anything much very soon. The fact that he suffers from depression has, imo, precisely zero to do with the facets of his riding career which are less than savoury - stopping horses and bullying young jockeys being foremost in my mind.
However, his ability is unquestioned and it is a shame he feels he can't continue. I often feel the same way!
However, his ability is unquestioned and it is a shame he feels he can't continue. I often feel the same way!
i feel your pain a bit here. I fessed up to having a breakdown a few years back in my late teens. The most love i got on racing fora was being asked what medication I was on...
simmo
Senior Jockey
No pain and no requirement for love - just making a point.
If stopping a few horses and bullying adolescents were the worst of his crimes then in the grand scheme of things he hasn't done too badly. Its certainly not worthy for us to be talking about after retirement...and not if you rate being a peado the worst offence of the lot.
Last edited:
Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
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I said I didn't hear the lead-up to the exchange between Cunningham and Banks. Banks, I gathered, had said Fallon wasn't a good ambassador for racing and I agree with that. He was as bent as a corkscrew.
Was he experiencing mental health issues when allegedly throwing races earlier in his career or allegedly involved with married women?
I hope he resolves his issues. Like Simmo, I too have had personal battles to overcome and would not wish anything similar on anyone. But during it all I never resorted to anything illegal or anything that would reflect badly on my family or profession; just me personally and there's nothing in there of which I would be proud.