Kieren Fallon acused of fraud

On Sunday afternoon the six-times champion jockey Kieren Fallon romped home to a euphoric victory in Europe's richest horse race, the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe.

Yesterday morning (08/10), wearing a dark suit and looking pale, the 42-year-old Irishman mounted the steps up to the dock in court at the Old Bailey to face charges of race-fixing that could undermine the integrity of the sport.

Mr Fallon and two other jockeys – Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams – are accused of conspiring to lose a total of 27 flat races over two years. The alleged plot involved three others, including Miles Rodgers, a professional gambler from South Yorkshire, who placed a total of £2.12m on those races between December 2002 and August 2004.