Kieren Fallon

**joeSoap** · 04/07/2006, 11:29 AM

I'm seriously thinking of giving up backing horses if he and the others are found guilty, as I suspect they will be.

What chance does any normal, form studying punter have if the form is thrown out the window by fraudulent jockeys??

Football pools only for me now I think.....

**Dodge** · 04/07/2006, 11:43 AM

Agree.

Can posters please be careful what they say on this topic as we all know the situation

**drinkfeckarse** · 04/07/2006, 12:01 PM

It leaves an awful taste in the mouth and the evidence seems stacked against them all. There is very little safe these days. I know of an instance with some darts players too....

**joeSoap** · 04/07/2006, 1:24 PM

And snooker players...Quentin Hann....8 year ban for throwing games

**pete** · 04/07/2006, 1:30 PM

The only reason it happens less in football is that its difficult to arrange in a team sport.

If convicted (have to think got some serious evidence if gone this far) will surely be devestaing to the Horse Racing and betting industry. Should the Irish government suspend all funding of irish horse racing if fallon found guilty. I seem to remember some threats to the FAI if it didn't clean up ist act previously and it never involved illegal activities...

Its one of the few sports i almost never watch & never relate to it. Always felt no point to unless have a bet on.

**joeSoap** · 04/07/2006, 1:40 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Should the Irish government suspend all funding of irish horse racing if fallon found guilty. I seem to remember some threats to the FAI if it didn't clean up ist act previously and it never involved illegal activities....

The Irish Turf club have not suspended Fallon and have no grounds to. These alleged offences took place in Britain and affected UK betting markets. He is suspended in the UK only.

**drinkfeckarse** · 04/07/2006, 1:44 PM

Unfortunately I also heard a whisper from a friend of mine who used to play for a Scottish League club that they normally "did" one game a year if they had nothing to play for.

It helped pay for their pre-season trip apparently and even worse is that he said one of their players phoned him towards the end of the season to let him know to put money on them losing a home game.......they lost 1-0 after the keeper inadvertently dropped the ball from a corner at the foot of an opposing teams player

**Dodge** · 04/07/2006, 2:13 PM

Never bet on yellow pack football. 2nd rule of football gambling. 1st rule is don't bet on Italian cup games

Is fallon actually suspended in the UK?

**joeSoap** · 04/07/2006, 2:31 PM

Yes, he's suspended until Friday at least when theres a hearing to see whether or not he'll be able to continue racing whilst out on bail.

From the Indo:

Top jockey Fallon on race-fix charge

LESS than 24 hours after a victorious Kieren Fallon once again thrilled the crowds by winning the Irish Derby, the former champion jockey was yesterday charged with fraud.

The 41-year-old - one of racing's household names - was charged as part of Britain's biggest-ever investigation into race-fixing. The alleged corruption is said to have netted the fixers �10m (�14m) in bets.

The inquiry centres on allegations that a syndicate of gamblers bribed jockeys to lose. Most of the races were said to have been at low-grade events that attracted a betting turnover far exceeding the prize money on offer.

Fallon, one of 11 people charged after answering bail at Bishopsgate police station in London, arrived at at the station at 9.20am yesterday.

He was looking relaxed in jeans and sweat shirt and spent only 20 minutes inside. Long enough, however, for his world, and that of the sport he represents, to be turned upside down.

Whatever happens now, the fraud charge is one that could cause untold harm to racing, quite apart from costing Fallon his right to ride in Britain.

Police confirmed that the six-times champion jockey had been charged with conspiracy to defraud. A former racing syndicate director, Miles Rodgers, was also charged with conspiracy to defraud and an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The City of London Police investigation - codenamed Operation Crypton - has sent shock waves through the racing world.

One insider said that the industry remained supportive of Mr Fallon. But the Jockey Club has been at pains in the past few years to show that it will not tolerate any suggestion of illegal activity and recently set up the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA).

"The industry has always closed ranks and believes perceptions of corruption in racing are exaggerated," said the official.

"While there may be a bit of shady behaviour, it is nothing serious. There are now people who feel it is very important to demonstrate that people can have confidence in the way it is run in this country and they want to be seen to be dynamically policing it."

Hundreds of officers have been assigned to the investigation, which has looked into the alleged fixing of the outcome of more than 80 races between December 1, 2002 and September 2, 2004.

Fallon, a father-of-three from Crusheen, Co Clare, is accused of conspiring to defraud customers of the online betting exchange Betfair.

Rodgers (37), of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, was also charged with conspiring to defraud Betfair customers and an offence relat ing to money-launderingallegations. Both men were released on bail and are due to appear at City of London court on July 17.

The investigation, in which the first arrests were made in September 2004, has led to raids on 19 separate addresses.

The case centres on alleged irregular betting on Betfair, which passed records from its tracking of betting patterns to the Jockey Club. Such online exchanges allow punters to match their own bets with each other, setting their own odds in a personal bet, eliminating the bookmakers.

Individuals can bet on horses to lose as well as to win and can bypass the margins made by traditional bookies.

Last night, the HRA said Mr Fallon had been suspended from riding in Britain pending a hearing today. But the jockey, who has an Irish licence, will not face any problems back home, where he is stable jockey to the powerful Ballydoyle operation.

Denis Egan, chief executive of the Irish Turf Club, said: "The situation in Ireland is that he will be able to continue to ride. The licensing committee will obviously note what has happened, but as far as we are concerned Kieren Fallon is innocent until proven guilty."

Racehorse trainer Alan Berry (43), of Lancaster, and jockeys Darren Williams (27), of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, and Fergal Lynch (28), of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, are also facing allegations of conspiracy to defraud, as are three other men.

Two other men and a woman were charged under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Seventeen people were released without charge.

Det Chief Supt Steve Wilmott, head of the city economic crime division, said: "The amount of work undertaken by the investigation team has been immense. During the course of the investigation we have arrested 34 people, conducted over 500 interviews, taken more than 1,300 statements and provided over 5,000 exhibits and nearly 40,000 pages of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service and counsel."

**CollegeTillIDie** · 05/07/2006, 8:55 PM

Is there any truth in these allegations or is this another example of British justice?

**pete** · 06/07/2006, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Is there any truth in these allegations or is this another example of British justice?

I presume that a joke?

I doubt they would go all this trouble if didn't think culd get a conviction.

**Macy** · 06/07/2006, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by pete

I doubt they would go all this trouble if didn't think culd get a conviction.

Dunno, so much hype around the case I'd say they'd try and take it to court at least. He is still not proven of doing anything wrong, so certainly the race ban is unjust imo.

**joeSoap** · 07/07/2006, 3:28 PM

Fallon has just been banned from riding in Britain until the outcome of any trial.

Gulity until proven otherwise....

**el punter** · 07/07/2006, 4:58 PM

The trainer on the same charges as him Alan Berry is allowed continue training while Fallon and the two other jockeys are not allowed ride....seems very inconsistent.

There's a fair amount of naivety in some of the above posts. Most sports have been manipulated for a 'job' bet at some time or another. It's far from the first time this issue has arisen in racing in recent times.

More often than not its using information in an 'insider trading' stunt rather than anything being rigged. East European and Italian football is infamous for 'agreed results'.

When people are betting more on these games than the players are being paid by their clubs there is an obvious temptation. What would it take to convince a Serie C2 goalkeeper to have a bad game?

**pete** · 07/07/2006, 6:23 PM

I don't think you can have such a high profile jockey still riding while he is under such charges. Would make a mockery of the sport. maybe because a trainer is lower profile then they letting him continue...?

If a bank manager was under suspicion of fraud he would be suspended. same with a guard accused of assault... the list goes on...

**the 12 th man** · 07/07/2006, 6:30 PM

I think Fallon will will take this to the High Court or the ECFHR as it appears that himself and the other 2 jockeys are effectivley sentenced without trial.

Because the Sport is so betting orientated that HRA feels that it can't have Jockeys still riding while awaiting trial.

Anybody who doesn't use the Betfair internet site might not be aware of the fact you can make as much money if not more these days by "laying"(betting that a horse won't win a race) as you will trying to back a winner so you can see where the temptation would be for anybody inside the racing industry who might know a certain horse was not performing well at home on the gallops just before a race.

This case is far from over.

**el punter** · 07/07/2006, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by pete

maybe because a trainer is lower profile then they letting him continue...?

Arguably the trainer has more a position of responisibility for the performance of a horse than the jockey. It is also easier to hide non-trying as a trainer than a jockey.

If a jockey does not make an honest effort to win a race it must be done in the full glare of tv cameras. If a trainer does not have his horse fit, it is relatively easily disguised.

More succinctly: dodgy trainers are a greater concern than dodgy jockeys

**Superhoops** · 08/07/2006, 7:57 AM

Originally Posted by the 12 th man

....Anybody who doesn't use the Betfair internet site might not be aware of the fact you can make as much money if not more these days by "laying"(betting that a horse won't win a race) as you will trying to back a winner so you can see where the temptation would be for anybody inside the racing industry who might know a certain horse was not performing well at home on the gallops just before a race.....

Since horse racing began hundreds of years ago owners, trainers, jockeys and punters have always been in a position where they really fancy a horse to win and indeed horses are often laid out specifically for races.

What they don't know however is that the horse will definitely win. Despite immaculate preparation often such fancied horses don't win for a varity of reasons, it didnt react on the day, it got boxes in, it found one too good for it, it slipped/fell, etc.

On the other hand, there are far more instances of owners, trainers and jockeys knowing that their horse definitely won't win and the since the introduction of betting exchanges such as Betfair this potentially opens an avenue for 'greedy' connections to cash in on this knowledge, mainly at the expense of gullible punters.

There has obviously been an extensive investigation into this case and while I could understand how some of the lesser jockeys would be sucked into this, I cannot understand how a multi-millionaire jockey at the height of his career like Fallon would find himself associated with such allegations. I doubt if they have just used Fallon to make an example out of him, the authorities must have some evidence to link him.

I hope the allegations are not true, but I believe there is no smoke without fire and if Fallon or any of the rest of them are found guilty life bans and possibly jail sentences would be appropriate if the integrity of racing has any chance of survival.

**el punter** · 08/07/2006, 10:11 AM

It should be remembered that bookmakers have been 'laying' horses for many generations before Betfair and the internet was created. There was always money to be made by any jockey, trainer or stable lad who would supply a bookmaker with information about a horse that euphemistically was 'Not Off' or wouldn't win.

Betfair love a bit of publicity and are getting plenty of it with this case.

**Superhoops** · 08/07/2006, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by el punter

It should be remembered that bookmakers have been 'laying' horses for many generations before Betfair and the internet was created. There was always money to be made by any jockey, trainer or stable lad who would supply a bookmaker with information about a horse that euphemistically was 'Not Off' or wouldn't win.

Betfair love a bit of publicity and are getting plenty of it with this case.

Agreed, but if you knew a horse was 'off' obviously you wouldn't bet on it (no profit in that), you could bet against it on another horse (no guarantee the other horse would win) or a bookmaker could offer higher odds to encourage ordinary punters to lump on it (a sure winner for a bookie once he knew the horse was off, assuming punters were not wary of lenghtening odds).

However, since the emergence of betting exchanges you can now specifically lay a bet that the horse will lose. This does not need the intervention of bookies nor does it attract the public attention of what appears to be a fancied horse lenghtening its odds in the betting market. This an ideal environment for anyone with inside information to profit from without attracting obvious attention.

Not sure if I agree about Betfair and publicity. In this case, I don't think the old adage 'there is no such thing as bad publicity' is true. Betfair's revenue is from their 'cut' of total turnover. If people shy away from exchanges because of publicity which suggests everything may not be above board, then it is in their interests to fully co-operate with any investigation that either brings the wrongdoing out in the open or proves there is nothing shady going on. I wouldn't think Betfair would welcome any adverse publicity.