Famous Five For Fallon

FAMOUS FIVE FOR FALLON 
In the modern era, no jockey has a finer G1 2000 Guineas record than Kieren Fallon, and, at the age of 49, he proved once more that he’s still very much the man for the big occasion when landing the first British Classic of the season aboardNight Of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for first-season trainer Richard Hannon and owner Saeed Manana. 
The Irishman is not one given to elaborate celebration, generally opting for the style of deadpan professionalism favored by his weighing-room colleague Ryan Moore, but the broad smile that lit up his face as he brought Night Of Thunder back down the Rowley Mile to salute race fans told its own tale. Over the last few decades, retainers with big operators such as Ballydoyle, Sir Michael Stoute and Sir Henry Cecil have come and gone, and the incidents of scandal and intrigue which have peppered his career could not have failed to dim the sheen of his unquestionable brilliance in the saddle. 
Even for a jockey as seasoned as Fallon, to have success on the big stage has as much to do with mental acuity as physical fitness, and in his post-race interviews, he returned frequently to the theme of confidence. 
“I’ve been riding out for Godolphin and riding good horses in the morning is a great way to boost your confidence,” he declared. “It makes days like this easier. Last year I didn’t have the good horses but I started riding for Saeed [Bin Suroor] when I was in Dubai over the winter and it has really helped. If you’re not riding good horses you lose your confidence.” 
As all eyes were focused on the favorite Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who beat Night Of Thunder by 4 1/2 lengths when last they met in the G3 Greenham S., Fallon also had the John Gosden-trained colt in his sights and with his confidence renewed, felt certain that his mount would get the better of him this time around. 
He said: “I knew that I’d pick up James [Doyle on Kingman] pretty easily. When I gave my horse a tap he veered to the left a bit, but it’s only his fourth run and he’s still a baby. I knew we had a chance even though we had a lot to find on last time. It was unbelievable the way Night Of Thunder quickened and I was always going to pick Kingman off.” 
Fallon took the first 2000 Guineas of the new millennium on King’s Best before following up in 2001 with Golan (Ire), both for his former boss Stoute. Another brace, in 2005 and 2006 with Footstepsinthesand (GB) and George Washington (Ire), marked his Ballydoyle era, but Classic victories have been harder to come by in recent seasons, making his fifth success in the race a likely personal favorite. 
Fallon added: “This is a great way to start the season, it’s a real boost. I’m on a real high right now and that means everything in this game. This was a really good field for this race and I thought there were five or six horses with very little between them, so to win the way he has just shows what a good horse he is.” 
With a brace of group victories already under his belt this year courtesy of his burgeoning alliance with Godolphin during the Dubai International Racing Carnival, a British Classic has not just reignited the jockey’s confidence, but has dispelled any doubts harbored last year over the continuation of his career. As he closes in on his half-century, he may be in his twilight years as a rider, but the glare of the spotlight from big-race wins such as this will ensure it will be a long while yet before darkness falls on Fallon. 

Marathon Effort from Sheikh Fahad and Team… 
Anyone who had bumped into Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, David Redvers and a number of their trainers during the week of the Craven Meeting at Newmarket might have wondered why they were all walking a little awkwardly. The team of eight, which was completed by David Simcock, Robert Cowell, Andrew Balding, Charlie Hills, Olly Stevens and QIPCO 2000 Guineas-winning trainer Richard Hannon, had taken part in the London Marathon on the previous Sunday, and the result of their effort was revealed prior to racing on Saturday with a check for £200,000 presented to Racing Welfare. 
The charity’s Chief Executive, Lesley Graham, said on accepting the donation: “This has been an amazing result for Racing Welfare and will greatly increase the number of people able to benefit from our services. Sheikh Fahad is a terrific supporter of the charity and it is clear that the whole team understand the importance of our work. We are extremely grateful to them all.” 
Now fully restored to soundness, Sheikh Fahad, who with his brothers sponsors the QIPCO British Champions’ Series and the entire card at Newmarket during the Guineas meeting, enjoyed seeing his Nova Champ (Ire) (Intikhab) win the Harbour Watch At Tweenhills H. on Saturday. He added: “I am very proud of what the whole team achieved and of the amount raised for Racing Welfare. The training and day itself left us all in considerable amounts of pain and saying ‘never again’, but it will feel worth it when we learn of how the money raised has benefitted those individuals who really need help.”