Kieren Fallon: “These are the days when you wish you were riding again”

Six time British Champion Jockey Kieren Fallon talks us through Day One at Epsom and the controversy over Diore Lia’s Derby entry

Racing does not get any better than the Derby meeting and the two days at Epsom were among my absolute favourites when I was riding.

Epsom’s a brilliant place and Derby day always made me feel like a kid at Christmas, with Oaks day being a little like Christmas Eve. Everything building up to the two-days is exciting. The anticipation starts to build from the moment you do that last piece of work, with the anxiety and adrenaline really flowing by the time you go into the stalls. Then the gates fly open and you have to get in the zone.

You get a special buzz being around Epsom on these two days. When you arrive at the course everyone’s excited – the trainers, the owners, the jockeys and the crowd – and it’s a great atmosphere. On top of that you’ve got the gypsies on the way into the track trying to nick a bit of your money for some lucky heather – and you always have to buy it because if you don’t then you think it’s bad luck! This meeting and Royal Ascot are the days when you wish you could be riding again as they are so special.

And that’s why Diore Lia running in the Derby has made me so upset. It’s making a mockery of one of the best – if not the best – races in the country and I can’t believe it’s been allowed to happen. I think it’s an absolute disgrace the BHA haven’t done more to sort it out. I don’t agree with what the owner’s done but there’s a loophole and he’s exploited it. So it’s not his fault, the trainer’s fault or even the jockeys fault for taking their chance. It’s the BHA’s fault for having this gaping loophole that means any horse can run in the Derby even if they’re a donkey. It beggar’s belief.

She won’t be involved in any part of the race and I see she’s 1,000-1 to win. They should make her 1,000,000-1 because she’ll never win the race and it would show everyone how ridiculous this all is. I think what makes it worse is all the press they’ve had out of it. That’s taken the gloss off the race, because it’s Derby week and I’ve barely seen anything that’s not about this horse. It’s a joke. An absolute joke.