Fallon's career takes another knock Kieren Fallon. ONLY weeks after Kieren Fallon rode in the Melbourne Cup, his career as a top-flight jockey is considered all but over after it was revealed he had failed a drugs test in France and been banned worldwide for six months. "The suspension is due to the presence of a prohibited substance in his samples, after a race at Chantilly on July 9," Henri Pouret, France-Galop's head of the rule book and stewards' secretariat, said. The Daily Telegraph reports that Fallon had until Thursday to appeal against the ban, which is due to run from December 7 to June 7 and be enforced globally. "France-Galop has asked Ireland to reciprocate," Pouret said. He refused to identify the prohibited substance. Fallon's solicitor, Christopher Stewart-Moore, said: "Over the course of his long riding career, Kieren Fallon has been tested by authorities all over the world and the results have always been negative. "In this case, only trace levels were detected and these are considerably lower than generally accepted thresholds for positive results. Kieren is dismayed at this turn of events but understands that as it is a strict liability offence, France-Galop has no alternative but to impose a suspension." Fallon (41) and his employer, Coolmore Stud, were told of the penalty this week, having known the case was being investigated by French authorities. The ban, which rules the jockey out of all races — including a series of G1 events — in the first half of next year, terminates his licence in his native Ireland and France, racing countries that have provided refuge for him professionally during his exclusion from Britain and the USA. The French ban has been imposed for an entirely different issue to that which Fallon will be fighting in the courts next year. Fallon lost his license to ride in Britain after City of London police brought criminal charges against the jockey this year of allegedly trying to defraud customers of the betting exchange Betfair. Fallon has strenuously denied all charges and maintained his innocence. This latest controversy will surely strain the jockey's relationship with Coolmore's John Magnier and his associates, who have stuck loyally by their retained rider during his darkest hours. Despite the inconvenience of not having a stable jockey available for every major mount in major races, Magnier and his Coolmore/Ballydoyle associates have refused to appoint a replacement until Fallon's case has been settled. They have called on the services of a former stalwart, Mick Kinane, but have never formally taken in a substitute under contract. Fallon's retainer is well into six figures, not counting the percentages and bonuses he could earn for important big-race success. At the time of his appointment, in early 2005, he was snapped up because he was considered the one jockey who could make a difference. And so he has proved in the big races. During his period of exile, Fallon has continued to be welcomed at Coolmore and the world-famous stud's racing arm, the renowned Ballydoyle stables, near Cashel, County Tipperary. - Telegraph.