Racing: Fallon puts troubles behind him in Oaks

Kieren Fallon put aside his worries to guide Alexandrova to an impressive victory in the Irish Oaks yesterday.

Fallon, who is suspended from riding in Britain after being charged in relation to a race-fixing inquiry, kept his filly at the back in the early stages.

But he weaved through the field on the 8-15 favourite to take up the running inside the last furlong at The Curragh in Kildare.

Alexandrova finished four lengths clear of Scottish Stage with Rising Cross in third in the mile-and-a-half showpiece.

The Sadler Wells filly added the Irish crown to her Oaks win at Epsom last month.

It is the third time Fallon has completed the English-Irish Oaks double after similar achievements on Ramruma in 1999 and Ouija Board in 2004.

"She was so good at Epsom that there is always the worry that things will go wrong but everything went great," he said. "She is a filly that is going from strength to strength and the world is hers at the moment."

The victory was trainer Aidan O'Brien's 12th in an Irish Classic but his first in the Irish Oaks.

"We'll look at the Yorkshire Oaks and see about taking on the colts after that," said the Ballydoyle trainer.

"She wouldn't mind dropping back to 10 furlongs and the Irish Champion Stakes could be an option."

Fallon, who is planning a High Court appeal against his suspension, is due in court in London on Tuesday.

- NZPA