Cieren secured his third Group One win

Kieren Fallon has praised his son Cieren's temperament both in and out of the saddle after Cieren secured his third Group One win aboard Montassib earlier this month.

Due to a last-minute delay, Fallon senior, a legendary jockey himself, was unable to attend the race at Haydock where Cieren added to his previous Group One victories with Oxted in 2020 and 2021. This win marked Cieren’s first top-level success for trainer William Haggas, with whom he has been since his apprentice days.

Oxted helped elevate Cieren's profile by winning the July Cup and the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. It’s fitting that another late-maturing sprinter like Montassib ended Cieren's three-year wait for a Group One victory, as he showcased his strong partnership with the six-year-old in the Betfair Sprint Cup.

Kieren was impressed by how Cieren timed his winning run and praised his race-riding skills. "I was supposed to go with him but got held up, and it turned out to be a good thing," he said. "I don’t really tell him how to ride, and he doesn’t often ask for advice. Timing your kick in a race is an art, and he got it spot on."

Despite being sidelined by injuries this season, Cieren has ridden over 50 winners annually since 2019. Kieren commended his son’s resilience and ability to remain unfazed by setbacks, a contrast to his own experience. "Cieren can shrug things off easily, which is crucial. I would have been stressed out during my injuries, but he enjoys other sports like rugby and football, which helps him switch off."

Overall, Kieren believes Cieren's balanced approach to racing will serve him well in the long run.