Cieren Fallon's double victory at Glorious Goodwood highlights jockey's talent

The weather has been fittingly scorching at Glorious Goodwood so far this week and Wigan jockey Cieren Fallon was in equally hot form at the Sussex track on Tuesday afternoon.

The 27-year-old rode a double on the opening day of the five-day festival, which included a well-judged ride on the odds-on favourite Lake Forest in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes.

He had to show plenty of patience on William Haggas’ charge to do so, with the pair having a lot to do at the furlong pole, but the five-year-old found plenty for his rider’s urges to prevail by a neck at the line.

Fallon has a soft spot for Lake Forest, who provided him with one of the biggest winners of his career to date in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney back in 2024.

And he revealed his delight at being able to team up with William Haggas’ charge once again.

He said: "The expected pace didn't happen, so it was Plan B. It isn't ideal, but when you're riding a horse of this calibre, you can change your tactics just like that.

“They didn't go much of a gallop and he was in a position where I've had to commit a long way out, which isn't ideal.

"He is a horse that likes to be covered up and get there as late as possible, but in a race of this stature and it being so tricky (at Goodwood), I couldn't sit there and wait for a gap because it can just get closed like that.

“I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity, we all know Tom (Marquand) is the first jockey and I know where I stand. “Myself and Tom have got a very good relationship and to be fair to him, he put his hands up and said it’s fine, which really means a lot.

“I’m happy that I could repay the favour by winning. It was another familiar face who provided Fallon with his second winner of the day, too, when winning the final race of the card on board the Martin Dunne-trained Sing The Blues.

The three-year-old has only been with Dunne for around three weeks but has already won twice, and she very much looked like a filly on the up when powering clear of a competitive-looking field.

Dunne is a close friend of Fallon’s legendary father Kieren and he worked closely with Fallon junior when he first joined William Haggas’ yard as an apprentice jockey.

And the jockey was pleased to be able to repay the favour on the big stage.

He explained: “We go way back, he’s very good friends with my father and when I was a kid and I didn’t have a licence he was helping me and teaching me how to ride, so it means a little bit more riding for people who helped me when I was younger.

“I thought the filly put in a really tough performance, we got a big bump but she really gritted her teeth and quickened away well. She was a very good buy and always showed a bit of promise at home.

“Today she’s jumped well and travelled strongly and she’s progressed from her last start and hopefully she can keep building.”

This is the fourth season that Dunne has been in the training ranks in his own right and he was full of praise for Fallon.

He said: “I know Kieren senior really well, we knocked about together a bit and when young Cieren started at Mr Haggas’ yard I was there.

“I wouldn’t say I took him under my wing but I did try and help him a bit, so it’s nice that he’s ridden the winner for us. He’s come a long way, hasn’t he?

“He’s got a bit of catching up to do with his old man, but he might get there!”

Meanwhile, Wigan Warriors-mad Fallon is heading to Wolverhampton on Friday afternoon, leaving the door open for a potential trip to watch his side face Leigh Leopards that evening.

Fallon is due to ride King Of Chaos for Dylan Cunha in the penultimate 4.55 contest, which traffic permitting could give him enough time to get to Leigh Sports Village for the 8pm kick-off.

That prospect was very much already on Fallon’s radar when quizzed about it.

He said: "The meeting at Wolverhampton is in the daytime, so it might have potential. We'll see what time my last ride is and see if I can get the driver to boot up there, but it would be really nice to go.

"It was a massive win against St Helens the other day, I missed the first 20 minutes and then watched the rest. I think Leigh have really improved over the last couple of weeks, so it'll be a tough game and it would be nice to get there and support the lads.“

“Warriors are really picking up and starting to get a few of their key players back. It’s the most important time of the year. Leeds have hit a bit of a bump in the road after seeming like an unstoppable force, while Warrington and Saints are struggling with injuries and we’re just regrouping so it’s all coming together.”

Like Warriors, Fallon is content with his own campaign, too, sitting fourth in the Jockeys’ Championship at the time of writing with 47 winners.

He added: "The season is going really well. It's been nonstop really, I've had a couple of suspensions that have taken the momentum away but I've just been ticking along really. I'm sitting nicely in the jockey's standings with a nice strike rate, so please God may it continue."