France-Galop has rejected Kieren Fallon’s appeal against the 18-month worldwide ban. Fallon can resume riding only in August 2009.

Long absences from the saddle weaken trainer-jockey relationships. Stables with high calibre horses want stability in their riding arrangements. Kieren Fallon could not provide that vital element.

The Independent, a newspaper in England, carried an item about the appeal being rejected. Putting up a brave face, Fallon told the paper, “It would have made a big difference to return to race-riding at the beginning of the next season. Though the date is now past the midway point next year, the uncertainty, at least, is over. Jockeys have recovered from far worse situations. I believe I can come back a stronger person.”

Fallon’s Ballydoyle job is now with John Murtagh. The one big consolation is that Fallon will be at Newmarket working for Sir Michael Stoute. He will be a work-rider. That is as close to race riding as one jockey could get.

It was only in the fifth programme of the Dubai Carnival that an England-based horse, trained by an England-licensed trainer, broke the duck for England. John Balding, from Yorkshire, won with his first ever runner in Dubai. Turn On The Style won a six-furlong turf handicap by a length and a half over Admiralofthefleet. Paul Mulrennan rode the winner. Turn On The Style was 7-1 in the British wagering market and won easily despite being fractious at the start.

Admiralofthefleet, a Vijay Mallya acquisition from Coolmore, is now with Mike De Kock and was ridden by John Murtagh. After racing in some major events, Admiralofthefleet will come to India to stand stud.

William Buick, the British apprentice who rode a lot of winners in 2007, is in America. He will be based at Gulfstream Park in Florida. He rides a Todd Pletcher trainee on Saturday. I saw Buick at Newmarket in September and he has enormous potential.

Micheal Rodd rode Efficient to a sensational win in the 2007 Melbourne Cup. Efficient came from out of the blue to beat the Luca Cumani-trained Purple Moon in the waning yards. Rodd is suffering from a mystery virus and will miss the Sydney autumn festival. Apache Cat who won the Lightning Stakes is a high profile winner that Rodd would have ridden. Apache Cat is now Royal Ascot-bound.

Saeed Bin Suroor sent out four winners at the Dubai racing carnival on Friday. The UAE 1,000 Guineas was won by Suroor’s second-string filly, Cocoa Beach, ridden by Ted Durcan. Beaten five lengths into second was Fiesta Lady, Frankie Dettori’s mount, who was 40 cents in British betting.

Ted Durcan said, “She’s a lovely filly. She travelled very well. I knew I was going to get there.”

Ted Durcan rode Light Shift, a Henry Cecil filly, to victory in the Oaks at Epsom Downs in 2007. Frankie Dettori rode two winners on Friday. The World Cup, a six-million dollar race, will be run on Saturday March 29. It is a twilight card. The program gets under way about 5 P M and runs until past 9 P M and the World Cup is run under the lights.