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International Archive

Fallon: A Knack for Trouble

Jockey Kieren Fallon may be an inspired rider, but he’s also reticent, willful, possessed of a temper, and has been treated for alcohol problems. Ok then, “So the man needs an image counsellor, but is he a criminal?” (The Guardian)

Posted in International, Jockeys on September 6, 2004

If a Race Is Fixed …

Does a punter care? Maybe not. “In all the bluster about the end of racing, this fact has been ignored: insider dealing aids the simple punter as often as it hinders him. If you are a pin-sticker, whether or not a race is fixed does not affect your chances of picking a winner. It is yet another unpredictable factor in an alphabet soup of unpredictable factors.” (The Guardian)

Posted in International on September 5, 2004

More on British Racing Scandal

The BBC breaks down the race fixing allegations against jockey Kieren Fallon and 15 others.
Some bettors aren’t too concerned about the accusations. “The general feeling was that the allegations were nothing new. ‘Everybody knows races are fixed,’ said Mr Daniels. ‘That’s part of the game, part of the allure. There might be ‘shock, horror!’ in the rest of society but to punters it’s more ‘tell us something we don’t know’. It’s like telling a 14-year-old that Santa doesn’t exist.'” (The Independent)
Fallon says, “I’ve been treated like a terrorist.” (The Guardian)

Posted in International on September 2, 2004

British Racing Scandal Breaks

In raids across the UK early Wednesday morning, police arrested 16 people — including six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon — for allegedly fixing 80 races. (The Guardian)
More: “Racing in crisis after Fallon arrested” (The Independent); “Fixing racing’s biggest problem” (BBC); “Solicitors expect Fallon to be cleared” (Racing Post).

Posted in International on September 1, 2004