Cieren Fallon's triumph riding Lake Forest in Australia was overshadowed by a hefty £50,700 fine for careless riding. The mood was initially jubilant after British jockey Fallon secured victory atop the William Haggas-trained colt, Lake Forest, in the prestigious James Squire Golden Eagle at Rosehill.
However, the win turned bitter when stewards fined him for careless riding, penalising him for allowing Lake Forest - co-owned by chairman Tony Bloom - to veer during the crucial final stretch.
Head steward Steve Railton condemned the manoeuvre in the last 50 meters as "bordering on reckless," reported . Special note was made of the fact the 18-1 shot made contact with second-place Lazzat.
Antonio Orani shared the spotlight with Fallon and also faced consequences. He was fined £15,200 after his mount, Stefi Magnetica, was adjudged to have interfered, and both jockeys were handed one-month suspensions.
Fallon defended his actions in the post-race enquiry, which was aired on Sky Racing: "I have come from behind, I bumped him as I have gone past and won the race. It's pretty clear to see the best horse in the race has won."
During the intense seven-and-a-half furlong turf battle for a staggering £2.8million top prize, Fallon expertly held Lake Forest back before making an ambitious move on the final turn. And it was decided this helped catapult him forward to claim an audacious win, adding another Australian success to Haggas' impressive tally.
It was after the race that Fallon remembered his late friend, Stefano Cherchi, who tragically passed away after a fall earlier this year. He reflected on his victory in the aftermath and cut an emotional figure.
"I'm lost for words, everything went to plan," he told Channel 7. "We got a few gaps there and obviously Stefano helped me get those. We knew Lake Forest had a lot of speed and that he had a good turn of foot.
"We felt that if we rode him too much early on that we'd take that away, so I had to ride him quite brave and hope that we got a bit of luck. In terms my career this is right up there."
Fallon's triumph came on the heels of another major win aboard Montassib in Haydock's Betfair Sprint Cup, marking a high point in his career. After the race, he expressed his gratitude towards Haggas for the unwavering support during his difficult times off the track due to injury and the loss of Cherchi, who was romantically involved with his sister, Brittany.
The Wigan native said: "He's been like a father to me in the sport and if it wasn't for him and Maureen I wouldn't be where I am today."
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