Hong Kong authorities refuse to grant license to Fallon

Kieren Fallon, shown guiding Ouija Board (GB) to victory in last year’s Hong Kong Vase, won’t have the opportunity to ride in the December 10 renewal (Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Embattled jockey Kieren Fallon will not be able to ride at the December 10
International Race Meeting at Sha Tin after the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)
denied him a license. After meeting on Monday, the Licensing Committee explained
its decision on the HKJC website.

“The Licensing Committee was of the view that whilst it was not appropriate
for them to comment on Kieren Fallon’s pending criminal proceedings relating to
horse racing integrity in the United Kingdom,” the statement read, “the decision
not to grant him a jockey’s license was consistent with the Hong Kong Jockey
Club’s previous decisions not to permit jockeys who were the subject of law
enforcement investigations to ride in Hong Kong pending the outcome of those
investigations.”

Fallon would have had the mount on the Aidan O’Brien-trained SCORPION (Ire) (Montjeu
[Ire]) in the Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1).

Champion jockey six times in the United Kingdom, Fallon was banned from
riding there after the City of London Police charged him in July with conspiracy
to defraud customers of BetFair in an alleged race-fixing scheme. He is slated
to stand trial next year, and his suspension by the British Horseracing
Regulatory Authority remains in force until his case has been adjudicated.

Racing jurisdictions around the globe have responded differently to Fallon’s
situation. While he has been able to ride in Ireland, France and Australia, he
was turned down by the Illinois stewards when seeking a license for the August
12  Arlington Million (G1) card. Following that denial, Fallon opted not to
pursue a license for the Breeders’ Cup program at Churchill Downs.