Cieren Fallon Jr set to clinch second successive Champion Apprentice Title

Features | 5^th November 2020

Fallon is set to be crowned 2020 Champion Apprentice at Doncaster Racecourse this Saturday 7^th November – becoming the first jockey to retain the title in 32 years.

Cieren Fallon, who has claimed 43 wins in the 2020 Apprentice Jockeys’ Championship so far, repeats the achievement of Gary Bardwell who won consecutive Champion Apprentice titles in 1987 and 1988.

Fallon, son of six-time Champion Jockey Kieren Fallon, leads second-placed Harrison Shaw by 23 victories and third-placed Georgia Dobie by 28 wins in the title race which concludes at Doncaster on Saturday.

2020 Apprentice Jockeys’ Championship top five:

*Statistics correct as of pre racing Thursday 5^th November 2020

Jockey	Wins	Rides
Cieren Fallon Jr	43	391
Harrison Shaw	20	272
Georgia Dobie	15	108
Stefano Cherchi	14	128
Finley Marsh	13	105

On becoming 2020 Champion Apprentice, the 21-year-old said: “It’s an amazing achievement for me, it is something I set out to do after the success of last year.”

“I’ve been very lucky to have the people I have around me to help me achieve these goals – my jockey coach, nutritionist, a great boss in Sheikh Fahad, William and Maureen Haggas, my mum and dad. They are all the best at what they do, so I’m very lucky to be in the position.”

“Winning the July Cup with Oxted is obviously the greatest highlight of my year and a memorable day. It’s been an amazing two years really, but I don’t want to be overlooked as an apprentice anymore, Oxted has taken me into that Group level, and I want to continue making the step up onto the next level.”

Amongst his 43 wins in the campaign, Fallon secured his maiden Group successes with Oxted, firstly winning the Group 3 Abernant Stakes at Newmarket in June and then returning to the same track to claim the Group 1 Darley July Cup in a thrilling victory.

Other highlights for Fallon this season include a 200/1 win aboard Intercessor at Newbury, success with Muraad at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, and a win with the Godolphin-owned Global Storm at Newmarket.

Fallon, who was also appointed as Qatar Racing’s second retained jockey this season, discusses these highlights in the below video with Jason Weaver who was also Champion Apprentice himself in 1993:

Earning over £613,000 in prize money throughout the season, Fallon’s top performing track is currently Wolverhampton where he has secured six victories and his most successful trainer partnership is with William Haggas – with the pair enjoying seven wins together.

Michael Hills, multiple Group 1 winning jockey and Cieren’s jockey coach also gave his thoughts on Cieren becoming a double Champion Apprentice, his development into a top jockey and that win in the Darley July Cup.