I am thrilled that wisdom has finally shone through and that the case against jockey Kieren Fallon has been thrown out.
This is the clearest example I have seen of life imitating art.
Dick Francis’ excellent novel Enquiry was published in 1971, but the similarities between the preposterous case against Kieren Fallon and the fabricated case against the fictional jockey Kelly Hughes in Francis’ novel are too staggering to list.
Though Enquiry is undoubtedly dated now, if you can obtain a copy from your local library, you’ll have an amazing insight in to Kieren Fallon’s helpless situation.
It’s amusing that six of the races that Kieren Fallon was alleged to have lost to order – he actually won!
It’s not amusing that the cost of bringing this case to the taxpayer is £10,000,000.
I expect Kieren Fallon won’t be amused that he was not allowed to race for the two and a half years while the case against him was being built.
Two and a half years with no income for a man at the top of his profession – arguably the best jockey in the world.
B.
I have finished The Enquiry on Monday, read Bonescrack since and am in the middle of Rat Race.
I discovered Dick Francis a while back, liked him a lot, then forgot about him, and remembered him a few weeks ago.
I love his books.
Citronella, you’re a never-ending supply of surprise – always in a pleasant way.
You’re also proof that a reader doesn’t need to like horses to read Dick Francis.
In case you didn’t know there’s a big conspiracy around whether he wrote his books or not.
Also very glad that all the jockeys have been cleared, but Fallon has been racing in Ireland, France and Australia (possibly Japan as well) during his ban, so he’s not exactly been impoverished. Though he did get a 6 month suspension in France as well for testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Caroline you’re right of course. No, Kieren isn’t destitute and he has, for certain, continued riding in Eire. If I was painting him as a penniless pauper I was wrong. And yes, I’m aware of the substance thing – but everyone knows that Kieren Fallon has an addiction problem. The way that the racing establishment treats him in particular and jockeys in general though, is neither pretty nor correct. It’s amazing how little things have improved since Dick Francis’ heyday.
Yes, I have read that they suspect his wife (or possibly someone altogether else) wrote them. I must say that I don’t care much – I am plain happy with enjoying the books, whoever wrote them.
And even without liking horses myself, I am always very sad when someone hurts one of these poor innocent fellows (which happens quite often throughout the book) – more so than when the human beings themselves are hurt.