Top jockey Kieren Fallon – refreshed and raring to go
Kieren Fallon is set to ride again in Britain on Friday after signalling an end to his four-month stay in the US, reports the Racing Post.
The six-time British champion jockey has accepted the offer of mounts at Haydock’s two-day meeting from trainer Alan Swinbank, and said on Saturday he intends to continue riding to the end of the season before making any decisions about his future.
Fallon, 50, took a break from riding in Britain in May after injuring his foot in the stalls and, with many convinced he would never be seen in the saddle in the UK again, flew to California where he spent much of last winter.
He was not tempted back by the Derby meeting or Royal Ascot and passed up the opportunity of rides for Swinbank at the Northumberland Plate meeting at Newcastle, but relocated to Indiana last month, since when he has moved on to Kentucky Downs where he was in action on Saturday. He plans to leave the US after riding at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.
Not ready to quit
Fallon said: “Alan Swinbank has asked me to come back. I’ve had a good time over here. I didn’t feel I was riding very well at home and I just thought a break would do me the world of good. It would be better than packing in anyway, I don’t feel I’m not ready for that just yet, and I have enjoyed my time riding out here in the sun.
“It has been a great experience just to let myself down and I have been riding a lot of good horses for Wesley Ward in the mornings. which has really revived me.”
Kieren Fallon
He added: “My weight is great and I just don’t feel ready to retire yet. Alan rang me to see if I would be available next weekend when he’s got a lot of runners and I’ve decided to come back rather than stay here. I will ride until the end of the turf season and the see what happens from there.”
Curtis out
Swinbank’s decision to approach Fallon was prompted by Ben Curtis being suspended for nine days over the coming fortnight following two recent bans.
The Richmond trainer said: “I will have a few runners at Haydock on Friday and Saturday and if Kieren is back in time he can have the rides. Kieren has ridden a lot of winners for me over the years and we get on very well. He keeps you posted, just like Dean McKeown used to.”
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