Kieren Fallon mystery deepens after agent reveals she has lost contact with jockey

Kieren Fallon’s stop-start season in the saddle appears to be in a long-term hiatus once again after Gloria Charnock, his agent, said on Thursday that she has not spoken to the jockey for several days and no longer has any way to contact him.

The 50-year-old from Clare, who was Britain’s champion jockey six times in seven seasons between 1997 and 2003, currently has no booked rides and has not been seen on a British track since he rode three horses without success at Redcar on October 3rd.

The following afternoon, Fallon failed to arrive at Tipperary for two booked mounts, including Sovereign Debt, who was awarded a Group Three race in the stewards’ room and the jockey also missed confirmed rides at Catterick two days later.

He later said that a delayed ferry had prevented him reaching Tipperary, while illness had kept him from taking up his rides at Catterick. "I went to have some blood tests on Friday," he told the Racing Post at the time. "I shouldn't even be riding. I told Gloria to take me off my rides. I have lost a lot of weight and don't feel right."

Charnock said on Thursday that she believes Fallon is still in Britain but cannot be sure.

“I’ve no idea when he will be back [riding]until I speak to him,” she said. “He’s not been too well the last couple of weeks but I can’t say any more than that at the moment.

“As far as I know, he is [in the country]. I got a text from him the other day, but that’s about it and that number isn’t working now so I have no way of contacting him. I’ve just got to wait until he contacts me.”

Fallon's last winner in Britain was aboard Buratino for Mark Johnston in a four-runner race at Newmarket on May 15th. Three days later, he finished sixth in a low-grade handicap at Southwell, before moving to ride on the American circuit for three months over the summer. Fallon rode a single winner there from 77 mounts, as well as seven runners-up and five third-place finishers, with total earnings of $250,000 (€228,500).

After returning to ride in Britain at Haydock on September 25th, Fallon then took 20 mounts without success.

(Guardian service)