Banned Fallon misses Oaks

Kieren Fallon is set to miss riding Reams Of Verse, the short- priced ante-post favourite for the Oaks, the rest of the Epsom Derby meeting and the start of Royal Ascot after receiving a 10-day ban in Rome yesterday.

Henry Cecil's stable jockey was suspended after his mount, Musical Dancer, veered left in the closing stages of the Derby Italiano, hampering Risiat.

Musical Dancer, trained by Ed Dunlop, was demoted from fifth to seventh in the race, with Fallon suspended from 6-17 June inclusive and fined 4m lire (more than pounds 1,500).

The ban compounds a disastrous weekend for Fallon, who picked up a four- day suspension on Saturday for dropping his hands at Doncaster. The stewards sidelined the Irishman from 2 to 5 June after finding him guilty of failing to ride out Highborn, who surrendered third place by a short-head behind Waypoint in the Merlin Land Rover Handicap.

But yesterday's ban is by far the bigger blow, as it prevents Fallon from riding Reams Of Verse for Cecil in the Oaks on 6 June. He was also booked to ride Symonds Inn in the Derby the following day. Fallon is considering an appeal.

The Irishman's career has taken an upward surge since he became Cecil's stable jockey this year. The combination recently won the 1,000 Guineas with Sleepytime.

Fallon, 32, has had several brushes with authority, notably when banned for six months from September 1994 to March 1995 for violent conduct after a clash with Stuart Webster at Beverley.

Fallon was also banned for seven days at Thirsk in June 1994 for hitting his fellow jockey Chris Rutter with his whip.

In August 1995 he was fined pounds 400 for verbally abusing the starter before a race at Pontefract and last year Fallon was fined pounds 1,500 for misleading the Jockey Club after failing to attend a meeting of the disciplinary committee.