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UK jockey Kieren Fallon cleared of race-fixing charges

Former six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon was cleared of race-fixing charges on Friday after a judge threw out the case for lack of evidence.

Trial judge Sir Thayne Forbes told the Old Bailey jury there was no case to answer following defense submissions at the end of two months of prosecution evidence.

"I am of course relieved and delighted, but also outraged," said Fallon, one of the most successful jockeys in international horse racing of the past decade. "There was never any evidence against me."

Fallon, fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams, gambler and businessman Miles Rodgers and two other men had been accused of conspiring to throw races.

The six were alleged to have plotted to stop 27 horses from winning races between December 2002 and August 2004, defrauding customers of online gambling exchange Betfair and others who placed bets.

The charges were dismissed by the judge before any of the defendants were asked to testify.

The case was based largely on evidence from an expert witness, Australian horse racing steward Ray Murrihy, who admitted during the trial that he knew little about the British rules of racing.

"This is an extraordinary admission given that he was purporting to give evidence about 27 races run in the UK according to UK racing rules," the judge said in his ruling.

During the trial, Fallon's lawyers said he became the victim of his own popularity. Many people -- including England soccer star Michael Owen, who is a racehorse owner and breeder -- called him for racing tips.

Because of the charges against him, the Irish rider has been banned from competing in Britain for the past 17 months, but has been racing in Ireland, Australia and France.
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