Depression has finally beaten Kieren Fallon. It is one of the few things that is powerful enough to stop the irrepressible Irish jockey, 51, who did not even announce personally on Monday that he had retired from the saddle.
In his place, Dr Adrian McGoldrick told the world that one of racing’s great careers was at an end after the Irish rider visited the Turf Club’s chief medical officer on Sunday.
McGoldrick revealed that Fallon had been battling depression for over three years and quantified that the jockey’s problem was ‘profound’.
If there was ever a rider who defined the modern term ‘bouncebackability’ it is Fallon. But on this occasion the man from County Clare is unlikely to pull out of the bag another of his comebacks as McGoldrick effectively slammed the door firmly shut.
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“As soon as I can get a bed organised for him, he’ll be going to hospital here in Ireland,” McGoldrick said.
“He said he won’t be returning to race riding afterwards and will move on to another phase of his career, whatever that might be.
“He felt he had no motivation for the last two or three years and that had affected his depression.
“At this stage of his life he feels he has to move on.”
Fallon leaves behind a career that has more highs than most, and which is punctuated with more lows than any of his rivals.
Fallon was champion jockey in Britain six times, and his relentless energy and power in the saddle helped him boot home over 200 winners in a year five times. Unlike such Stakhanovite operators such as Silvestre de Sousa there was class throughout, too, with two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe wins and 16 British Classic successes.
Two of those, King’s Best and Kris Kin, were for Saeed Suhail, the UAE businessman, and his last Classic victory was Night Of Thunder’s 2,000 Guineas triumph in 2014 for Saeed Manana.
He rode for all of the great racing operations, having formed a formidable partnership with Sir Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O’Brien and, towards the end of his career, also rode for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor.
And yet, he was twice banned for taking prohibited substances. In 2004 he was the subject of an investigation into race fixing and later faced a trial for conspiracy to defraud. He was banned from racing for 18 months before he was cleared by the Old Bailey in London of any wrongdoing.
Fallon brought colour to racecourses around the world, including to Meydan in Dubai, and on a going day was supremely gifted. He understood pace better than most, and his determination often got horses across the line when they really should not have won.
Fallon may have been a genius of a rider, but he was also fatally flawed as a person and the greatest test of his life may well have only just begun.
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Naga
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
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Company%20profile
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