Fallon on UK tv tonight.

Should be a great show

Fallon confronts his demons in BBC special


KIEREN FALLON has spoken openly about drugs, alcohol, violence and race-fixing charges, which have all played a part in the tumultuous career of the three-times Derby-winning jockey, in an interview to be broadcast on BBC1 on Monday evening.

The six-time champion of Britain gives a revealing interview with Claire Balding for an Inside Sport Special, called The Ride To Redemption, at 11.25pm in all regions except Scotland, which screens the programme at 7.30pm.

Fallon blames his use of drugs on the pressures involved with allegations of race-fixing and conspiracy to defraud, which spanned three-and-a-half years, including nine weeks in court, before the case was thrown out.

Fallon, who returned to race-riding in early September, and who has made a significantly successful comeback, admits that he had previously been surrounded by the wrong crowd and agrees that he is only too well aware that he needs to be more selective in the company he keeps.

Despite his past Fallon says he is looking forward to a future which is devoid of controversy.


K Fallon


WINS RUNS % 2NDS 3RDS 4THS WIN PRIZE TOTAL PRIZE £1 STAKE
2YO 37 218 17 27 32 27 £361,648.43 £660,886.70 +11.91
3YO 53 268 20 40 31 22 £1,653,537.78 £2,237,511.69 +2.21
4YO+ 56 340 16 40 24 35 £1,436,390.38 £2,017,408.01 -55.91
AW 32 191 17 19 26 19 £124,307.66 £180,966.27 -35.57
TURF 114 635 18 88 61 65 £3,327,268.93 £4,734,840.13 -6.23

Kieren Fallon believes Newmarket, the headquarters of Flat racing, remains in the grip of a damaging drug-taking culture.

The six-time champion jockey, who only returned to the saddle in September after serving an 18-month ban for testing positive to cocaine, voices his fears during a wide-ranging interview with Clare Balding in an Inside Sport Special: Kieren Fallon — The Ride To Redempton — broadcast at 11.20 tonight on BBC1.

Fallon, who talks of the addiction he has battled, underlines his determination to make the most of a final chance to leave a positive legacy on the sport as he speaks about chapters in his colourful career ranging from losing his job with Henry Cecil amid false rumours of an affair with his wife Natalie to the Old Bailey race-fixing trial that
collapsed in December 2007.
Kieren Fallon and Dylan Thomas

Positive legacy: Fallon

The threat of prison that surrounded him then, Fallon tells Balding, made him turn to drugs.

Fallon said: ‘Obviously, when things weren’t going well, my life was spiralling out of control.

'Every second week, we’re having to take trips to England to my barristers.

'We couldn’t see an end to it and you get to a stage when you don’t really care anymore.’

Asked by Balding whether there is a drug problem in racing, Fallon replies: ‘I know there is.’

Fallon credits the intervention of royal trainer Sir Michael Stoute for making him face up to his addiction and says he would love to help others with their problems.

When quizzed by Balding as to why more people were not getting caught if drug use was so prevalent, Fallon tells her: ‘I don’t mean in the weighing room, I mean outside.

'I mean that Newmarket has the highest rate for its population of any town in England.’

Despite Fallon’s fears, Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe, however, believes the town’s battle with drug-taking has made major strides.Two of Fanshawe’s staff were included in a spate of suicides that rocked the racing town four years ago.
James Fanshawe

Major strides: Fanshawe

Fanshawe said: ‘Kieren’s plight and the high-profile suicides mean everything has been a lot more vigilant.

‘There are a lot of towns around the country that have a drug problem. But the Racing Welfare charity, trainers and the lads themselves are a lot more aware of the problem.

‘Compared to two years ago, things have improved. If you suspect a lad might have a problem, you have a word with him. I did suspect something was going on in my hostel and took measures to prevent it by installing CCTV cameras so we could keep an eye on things.

‘If an undesirable person wants to come into my yard in the middle of the night to sell drugs, they are on camera.’

Fanshawe’s colleague Chris Wall, a former president of the National Trainers’ Federation, highlighted the work of The Newmarket Partnership, with Joe Carter, a reformed addict, working as an advisor to the racing community.

Wall said the challenge Newmarket faced was a regular flow of young workers,
many of whom were living away from home for the first time.

There was no end-of-year joy for Fallon at the Hong Kong International meeting which featured four Group Ones at Sha Tin yesterday.

He always appeared to be outpaced before finishing third on Luca Cumani’s Presvis in the Cup, a race won by the Olivier Peslier-ridden Vision D’Etat, trained by Eric Libaud.

Fallon had earlier finished 10th on Mick Channon’s Youmzain in the Vase behind Alain de Royer-Dupre’s Daryakana, which pipped Stoute’s Spanish Moon under an inspired ride from Gerard Mosse. He was deputising for the suspended Christophe Lemaire, the newly retained jockey for unbeaten Daryakana’s owner, the Aga Khan.

The Mile was won for the third year running by local hero Good Ba Ba, while the three British hopes in the sprint — Borderlescott,

War Artist and Total Gallery — were no match for another Hong Kong pin-up performer, Sacred Kingdom. He flopped when he ran in the Golden

Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but his half-length defeat of One World under Australian jockey Brett Prebble will reinforce the view of his more ardent admirers ,who see him as the best sprinter in the world.


Source Daily Mail

Got a feeling you might not be able to watch this outwith the UK but here is the interview on BBC iPlayer

Morning Bob, UK only, thought with the family here would have been able to get the link, but no joy.
How was the show?

Racing Welfare: Fallon drugs claims over the top

RACING is facing up to its addiction problems and Newmarket's drugs problem is no worse than that in many other parts of Britain, Racing Welfare said on Tuesday in response to Kieren Fallon's assertions on Monday's BBC1 Inside Sport special.

On Monday's programme, presenter Clare Balding asked the former champion jockey if there was a drugs problem in racing and he replied: "I know there is."

He later went on to claim that Newmarket had the "highest rate [of misuse or addiction], for its population, of any town in Britain".

However, on Tuesday, Richard Negus, Racing Welfare's fundraising and communications executive, said that racing was addressing its addiction problems, not only with drugs but with alcohol and gambling, and had taken positive action, including the appointment of a full-time addictions support officer.

He said there was no evidence to suggest that the drugs issue in Newmarket was worse than any other similar town in Britain. He added: "I worked in Edinburgh for five years and if Kieren believes there is a big problem he Newmarket he should pay a visit there."

Negus believes that racing can hold its head high in tackling the issue. He said: "Rather than sweep the matter under the carpet, perhaps as the armed forces have done, the industry has taken a positive attitude with support from many organisations, including the Injured Jockeys' Fund and National Trainers Federation, with the appointment of a full-time addictions support officer in Joe Carter, who is based here at Racing Welfare.

He never cheated in his life,never stopped a horse,never passed tips for money,never got caught with Henry Cecil`s missus and he didn`t mean to say drugs were strife in the weighing room,he meant Newmarket...