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Fallon escapes punishment

28/11/2008

Top jockey Kieron Fallon will not be charged by the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) over alleged race fixing.

The BHA has finished its probe into betting on horses to lose, known as "laying" horses.

Fallon can now resume his career when his drugs ban ends in September 2009. The six-time champion jockey has agreed to attend training about inside information.

The BHA says it decided not to charge the 43-year-old after he accepted his attitude towards inside information had been "reckless".

It also concluded there had been any attempt to stop a horse, or fix a race.

Fallon's solicitor, Christopher Stewart-Moore, told the BBC his client was riding in California, and was "very glad to draw a line on the past, and move forward in a positive manner".

Fallon is serving an 18-month ban after testing positive for cocaine in France in January. He will also undergo an individually-tailored drug testing and assessment programme having failed a drugs test for the second time in his controversial career.

The BHA investigated seven people, including a former owner, Bruce Bennett, and his sons Mark and Lloyd. They betted on horses ridden by Fallon, Dean Mernagh and Dean McKeown in 27 races between 2003 and 2004.

The BHA says none of the Bennetts co-operated with the investigation, and they will ask a disciplinary panel to consider "warning them off", or banning them from the sport.

Last year, Fallon and five other men were acquitted of all charges after the collapse of a race-fixing trial at the Old Bailey.