Horse Racing: Fallon Makes Winning Return

It felt like a guard of honor as Kieren Fallon walked from the weighing room to the paddock here last night for his first ride in public since the Melbourne Cup in November last year. There was a corridor of racegoers several deep on either side who cheered and applauded as he strolled past to ride The Bogberry in a minor race for two-year-olds and the reception was warmer still when he returned as a winner on the well-backed favorite.

On a warm, still evening at the bottom of the Silvermines Hills, Fallon's six-month ban for testing positive for cocaine, and the impending court case for conspiracy to defraud that could deprive him of his liberty, could not have seemed further away. As first rider to Aidan O'Brien's yard less than 15 miles away, Tipperary is Fallon's local track and County Tipperary was out in force to welcome him back.

"I'd say there will be 3,000 here tonight, which might be twice what we would normally expect," Peter Roe, the track's manager said. "Aidan has always been a great supporter of Tipperary, High Chapparal and Hawk Wing both ran here and it will be great to have Kieren here of all places. If he could pick any place to come back, it's probably best that it's here."

It all felt like a tightly plotted script beforehand, as The Bogberry appeared in the paddock looking like a three-year-old taking on juveniles. Tight, gleaming and trained to the minute, he was long odds-on in the betting ring, where the bookies did not bother to call his name, but shouted instead that they were "4-7 Kieren."

The race itself did not unfold without incident, however, as Fallon found himself chopped off on the turn into the short home straight, having traveled smoothly in third place on the inside rail. That pushed him back to last place and, with just a furlong left to run, The Bogberry still had at least four lengths to make up on Rainbow Crossing, a 10-1 outsider.

Just when all seemed lost, though, Fallon summoned a final, irresistible run from his mount to win by a neck. His reception was worthy of a six-times champion and you could tell from the smile on his face that he knew he deserved it.

"Things didn't go to plan," he said afterwards. "I got stuck behind two horses that were coming back at me and I couldn't get around them, so he had a harder race than I'd have wanted, but he's won.

"It's great to be riding again and they are unbelievable over here in Ireland. It helps you and it gives you lots of confidence knowing that they are behind you, it makes your job easier. This is one of my favorite horses in the yard, he's got a good future."

Fallon, who is 42, looked just as fit as The Bogberry and has not spent the last six months with his feet up. "I've been riding most days and alternated between going to the gym and playing golf," he said. "I've taken some positives from it, though I'm keeping those to myself, so it hasn't been too frustrating.

"I've been able to ride out and keep focused, though Epsom would have been one of my favorite meetings. I love the kick you get at Epsom, there's nothing like it."

Fallon was impressed by Authorized's success in the Derby, though he does feel that he might have made a difference if he had ridden O'Brien's Eagle Mountain, who was beaten five lengths into second place at Epsom, a track that Fallon has made his own in recent years.

"You'd like to think you would make a difference, wouldn't you, if you have confidence in yourself," he said. "I'd have liked to be closer if I'd been riding him but he got shuffled back early on. Johnny [Murtagh] couldn't really help that, something came across in front of his nose and he had to take back but it's very hard to win from back there. I think Authorized is very good but I wouldn't be afraid to take him on with Eagle Mountain."

It is the sort of confidence that made Fallon a hero for racegoers on both sides of the Irish Sea. Even he cannot work miracles, though, and Flying Cheetah, his only other ride on yesterday's card, finished well down the field in a sprint handicap, running much as his form suggested he would.

What mattered to the racegoers, though, was that Fallon is back and, while he remains banned in England, he will be riding at Chantilly on Sunday.

"I'd have come back last week if I could," Fallon said. "Now I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

Ron Cox's tip of the day


Ishetoo 8.50 Haydock

When sprinters hit form, they can often run up a sequence and a hat-trick certainly looks on the cards for Ishetoo, who followed up his Ayr victory with a four-lengths demolition job in an apprentice handicap at Catterick last week. He is up in grade here but gets no penalty for his latest win and is set to race off a 12lb higher mark from tomorrow. He will be hard to beat.