Kieren Fallon has lauded his son Cieren’s temperament in and out of the saddle after watching him notch his third win at the highest level aboard Montassib earlier this month.
A last-minute delay meant Fallon senior – one of the most decorated jockeys of his era – was not at Haydock to watch the 25-year-old add to the Group One triumphs he achieved with Oxted in 2020 and 2021.
It was his first top-level victory for William Haggas, having been based with the Somerville Lodge handler since his apprentice days.
However, it was Roger Teal’s popular speedster Oxted who helped propel the dual Champion Apprentice into the spotlight, winning the July Cup before registering a first Royal Ascot success when adding the King’s Stand Stakes to his CV.
It is somewhat fitting that it is another late-maturing sprinter that ended Fallon’s three-year wait between Group One drinks, as he continued his tremendous partnership with Montassib at Haydock in the Betfair Sprint Cup.
The Merseyside triumph was Fallon’s fifth in partnership with the six-year-old and the jockey’s father – who won the Sprint Cup with Society Rock in 2012 – was impressed by the way he timed his winning run, hailing his race-riding skills in the saddle.
“I was supposed to go up with him, but I just got held up a bit in the yard and by the time I got out of the yard, they had already gone,” said Fallon.
“It was probably a good job in the end that I didn’t, and I don’t really tell him how to ride races and he doesn’t ask all that often, too.
“You can guide them a little bit, but you can’t teach someone how to ride and the other most important thing you can’t teach is knowing when to sit and knowing when to kick.
“You see people sitting too long and not getting up, or kicking too soon and then getting nailed and it looks terrible – and it’s an art to find that knack of when to kick and get it right.
“He got it spot on and I was sat there thinking ‘go on kick, why is he waiting, why is he sitting’ – I think I would have gone 100 yards earlier than he did.
“He knows the horse better than me, but watching I couldn’t help thinking ‘what is he waiting for’. But I used to hate kicking too soon and getting nailed, it would drive me mad.”
Fallon has ridden over 50 winners each season since 2019, but has met some challenges this term, with his momentum checked by untimely setbacks.
After an injury kept him out of action over the winter months, he suffered a broken back at Windsor in July which put him back on the sidelines.
Having praised his patience in the saddle, Fallon senior has also applauded his resilience to bounce back from his untimely lay-offs, admitting it was something he struggled to deal with himself during his long and distinguished riding career.
“The other good thing about Cieren is not a lot fazes him,” he continued.
“It was easy to get me upset, especially if I had got beat or rode a bad race, but Cieren is able to shrug it off and that is an important asset he has.
“I would have been tearing my hair out while injured, but the difference we have is I was one-way traffic; eat, sleep, riding races, reading form, everything was racing, whereas he is able to sit back and switch off.
“He loves rugby league, he loves football, he loves his sport. I had no interest at all and that was probably my downfall. There was no distraction, it was just horses and racing – and obviously after a while, you got burnt out and start making mistakes and things just don’t work out.
“You do have to try to get away and I would never take a holiday, but he is different, which is good.”
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