CHAMPION jockey Kieren Fallon is to be interviewed by Jockey Club investigators over race-fixing allegations which have rocked the sport.

The claims surround a race in which his horse failed to win at Lingfield last Tuesday despite having a huge lead.

Fallon, who made his name riding for Thirsk trainer Lynda Ramsden before moving to Newmarket, was heavily criticised after Ballinger Ridge was pipped by a horse called Rye.

Stewards ruled he failed to properly push the horse to the finish line and he faces a 21-day ban.

The Jockey Club also ordered a separate investigation after "unusual betting" patterns were reported.

The controversy deepened yesterday after claims surfaced in The News Of The World that Fallon told undercover reporters only hours before riding that he would lose and Rye would triumph.

A Jockey Club spokesman said: "One of the key aims of the investigation is to establish if there was any correlation between suspicious betting patterns and Kieren Fallon's failure to obtain the best possible placing."

The newspaper alleges Fallon told undercover reporters: "I'm actually down as the favourite. It's not very good.

"The horse of Jamie Osborne's going to win the race. A horse called Rye."

The newspaper also claims Fallon gave his opinion on other races but "declined a cash payment".

Fallon's lawyer told the newspaper his client had merely offered advice to people whom the jockey had been led to believe were members of the public.

He said: "As many jockeys do on TV on a daily basis, he gave them his views as to the chances of horses he was riding.

"He received no money for this and the way he rode the horses was in no way influenced."

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