Kieren Fallon has made three visits to India this year. I will not be off the mark if I said that he has not endeared himself to the fans. Jockey Fallon has been riding in Dubai and has enjoyed some success. Here is news about Fallon that I thought fit to pass on. He has been asked to ride in a jumps race at the Cheltenham Festival later this month. He will be aboard the Noel Glynn-trained Old McDonald in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper Chase on March 17. Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaking outfit, made Fallon’s mount a 16-1 chance. Fallon is not new to jumps racing. He had a ride at Cheltenham in 2005.

“Obviously, it’s craic to ride at these big meetings. I am looking forward to it,” Fallon reacted.

Now, what is craic? I checked it out. It’s a Gaelic word that is not amenable to proper English translation. However, as used by the Irish and Fallon is one, it means fun associated with music and alcohol. The multiple English and Irish champion rider was saying it will be fun riding at the prestigious jumps meeting.

The Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday, March 16. The Gold Cup is the meeting’s crown jewel. Kauto Star and Denman, two equine (jumps) stars, are expected to clash in the Gold Cup, one of the biggest betting races in the world.

Paul Nicholls trains Kauto Star. He also takes care of Denman who won the Gold Cup in 2008. Kauto Star won the big race in 2007 and 2009. See More Business won the Gold Cup for Nicholls in 1999. A victory in 2010 will ensure, according to the Racing Post, Paul Nicholls a place in the pantheon of jumping legends. Kauto Star is the 4/6 favourite to win his third Gold Cup.

Trainer Nicholls spoke about the 5600-metre Classic to be contested on March 19. “Kauto Star is going to Cheltenham in the form of his life. What he did in the King George at Kempton was awesome. There are no chinks in his armour. He looks bombproof. I want to tell you what you should know about Denman. If anyone writes Denman off, one does so at one’s peril.”

Confidence and an abundance of it is an excusable trait with horse trainers. An occasional contradiction is also a feature in trainer talk.

There were two races at week’s end run at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Collection, trained by John Moore and a winner at Royal Ascot two years ago, won the Group I Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup, a 2000-metre race on the grass, in decisive fashion. Ridden by Darren Beadman, Collection, the 6-5 favourite, won by a length and three quarters.

In the final 200 metres, Collection cut across Thumbs Up, the runner-up, and caused the latter to be checked. An objection ensued but the result stood. The winning margin and the ease of victory marginalized whatever merit there was in the complaint.

Jockey Beadman was slapped with a two-day ban and a fine after pleading guilty to careless riding. “He (Collection) travelled very well and then went into another gear when I asked him to quicken up. Yeah, he edged right a bit on me but he was going away from them and won in the style of a horse that has plenty more to offer,” Beadman said.

John Moore, Collection’s trainer, spoke. “Yes, the Dubai Duty Free is next. The Duty Free distance of 1,800 metres seems a touch short of his best but he will be a major force in this sort of form.”

Good Ba Ba, tackling 2,000 metres for the first time in a long time, was fourth with Brett Doyle. Viva Pataca, the venerable eight year-old and winner of the Gold Cup in 2008 and 2009, ran sixth. Age is beginning to take its toll on the veteran of many a racing battle.

Also at Sha Tin was another star strutting his stuff and Brave Kid was his name. Brave Kid, a Doug Whyte mount and a John Size pupil, was winning his sixth consecutive race. Carrying top weight and going over 1,800 metres for the first time, Brave Kid, a New Zealand-bred, showed resolve when giving 11 pounds and a neck beating to Above All, a more experienced adversary.

Brave Kid’s next outing will be in the Mercedes Benz Hong Kong Derby in three weeks. No horse since 1971 (when professional racing came into being in the then British-held island) has won seven times in a season. Neither trainer nor jockey Whyte has won the Derby. A decision has to be taken whether to go with Brave Kid in the Derby or let Super Satin, who was second to King’s Dancer less than two weeks ago, take his chances.

Let us take a look at a Grade I race run at Caulfield in Australia on Saturday. It was the 1600-metre (turf) Futurity Stakes for three year-olds and up. Typhoon Tracy won her fourth Grade I event as the 3-5 favourite. Luke Nolen steered the four year-old daughter of Red Ransom to an easy two and three quarter-length win. Typhoon Tracy now has won nine times from 12 trips to the gate.

Jockey Nolen paid a serious compliment. “She’s got the weight-for-age horses around here covered at the moment.”

The Futurity is the first part of the four-leg Asian Mile Challenge. There is big money in the following three legs at Hong Kong, Dubai and Japan. There are huge bonuses for winning more than one leg. Peter Moody, Typhoon Tracy’s trainer, has not committed himself to an overseas campaign.

Let us now move to Kiwiland. On Sunday in the Fully Fledged @Fairdale WFA Classic at Otaki, Mufhasa, New Zealand’s Horse of the Year in 2009, emerged victorious. Stephen Mckee trains the winner who was ridden by Samantha Spratt. Mufhasa, a 6-1 chance, made it all to win by a length and three quarters in a time of 1 32.87 for 1600 metres. A five year-old, Mufhasa, by Pentire, had been winless in 12 months and brought an end to the losing trend. Mufhasa won two Group I races in 2009 and was voted New Zealand’s champion sprinter.

Here is sad news. Black Bear Island won the Dante stakes last year at York. Colm O’Donoghue rode the then Aidan O’Brien-trained sophomore. In The Derby, Black Bear Island had his share of friends but ran a disappointing tenth. The Saddler’s Wells colt was second in a photo in Arlington’s Secretariat Stakes last August, a race I was privileged to watch. After the Secretariat, Black Bear Island was sold to American connections and was put in the care of trainer Julio Canani. In the Hollywood Derby last November, Black Bear Island finished eighth. Black Bear Island was being readied for a grass campaign in the US in 2010 and suffered an ankle injury when working out. He was euthanized.

Why is the Black Bear Island episode worthy of honourable mention? He was a full brother to High Chaparral. The latter won the Epsom Derby in 2002 and won the Breeders’ Cup turf at Arlington in 2002. In 2003, High Chaparral deadheated for win with Johar in the BC turf at Santa Anita. High Chaparral beat Hawk Wing in the 2002 Epsom Derby. Hawk Wing is Becket’s daddy.

Indian fans should readily recognize the name, Wayne Smith. Jockey Smith was in the limelight at Abu Dhabi. In the only thoroughbred race in the desert kingdom on Sunday, jockey Smith rode Detonator to an easy win in a turf contest over 2200 metres. The pair will return to Abu Dhabi in three weeks for a Listed race over the same distance.

Jockey Smith talked about his mount. “He has plenty of ability and loved this fast ground. The Listed race next month is our target as there’s very little left for him at the Carnival.”

Radiohead won the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009 for trainer Brian Meehan. The Johannesburg colt was bought by IEAH stables, the group that campaigned Big Brown. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Radiohead ran seventh. Now a Rick Dutrow, Jr, trainee, Radiohead made his sophomore debut a winning one. At Gulfstream Park On Saturday, Radiohead was the 8/5 favourite in a 1600-metre (dirt) allowance race. Edgar Prado had Radiohead tracking the leader and struck the front at the top of the lane. The winning margin was three and one half lengths and heading the beaten brigade was Homeboy Kris, the winner’s stablemate and a Grade I winner, last year.

Trainer Dutrow expressed delight: “This is what I wanted to see. He could have gone to the lead but I told Edgar (Prado) to let the other horse go and be a measuring stick. It certainly showed he likes the dirt.”

There was another race at Gulfstream on Saturday. The Davona Dale, a Grade II race for sophomore girls, went to Amen Hallelujah. Rick Dutrow Jr had his pleasure doubled when he led Amen Hallelujah into the winner’s circle. Julien Leparoux rode. A 2-1 chance, Amen Hallelujah had a duel with Bickersons and went clear in the stretch to win by a widening six lengths.

“I brought her back from California just to run in this race. I always thought she’d be better on dirt. She trains better on dirt than the synthetic,” Dutrow explained.

Presious Passion led until the final furlong in the BC turf last year. He could not contain Conduit and Ryan Moore. On December 26, Presious Passion disappointed in the W L McKnight Handicap. The Mary Hartmann-trained seven year-old seven year-old made his 2010 debut in the Grade II Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream on Sunday. Jockey Elvis Trujillo let Presious Passion roll and the pair went all the way to win by a length and a quarter over Winchester as the 16-10 chance. That was a successful title defence for Presious Passion in the Mac Diarmida. The next race is the $5,000,000 Sheema Classic at Dubai on World Cup day.

“That’s my boy,” exulted trainer Hartmann. “I thought about scratching him because the turf was good (somewhat soft) but we wanted to give him a race before the Dubai trip.”

Saturday’s Santa Anita card was abandoned. The pro ride surface failed to drain satisfactorily following heavy rain. The Sham Stakes was postponed to this weekend. There have been repeated cancellations. The jury continues to be out.