Fallon facing the sack as Murtagh gets set to step in for O'Brien

The latter faces 18 months on the sidelines after Racemail's exclusive revelation that he tested positive for cocaine at Deauville on August 19 having partnered the unfortunately named Myboycharlie to victory in the Prix Morny.

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The B sample of Fallon's test is currently in Hong Kong for a second adjudication, but once the tests are complete they will be returned to France Galop for a determination.

While supportive of his mercurial jockey, O'Brien's comments in Hong Kong yesterday did not offer much hope of a future for the jockey at the Ballydoyle stables.

The sack is imminent, Racemail understands.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde's Lady Bracknell — to test positive once to cocaine (as Fallon did at Chantilly on June 9, 2006) is unfortunate — to test positive a second time is positively careless.

O'Brien said: "I haven't seen Kieren although I talked to him on the telephone about the court case immediately afterwards.

"It's obvious everyone will have to get home and talk about this.

"We've always known that Kieren has an addiction problem which he brought with him to us.

"Anyone like that deserves help — but it will be a long road ahead for him.

"We have been 100 per cent behind him all the way. I can't see why it will be any different. Am I disapppointed? It's a very difficult question for me to answer."

Frankly, O'Brien is known to have been unhappy for some time that Fallon has surrounded himself with people who have fed his addictions and the fact that some have been allowed to enter the magnificent Ballydoyle complex.

More to the point will hardheaded businessmen like John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the Coolmore triumvirate, be prepared to wait around until the latter part of 2009 for their wayward jockey to return to action?

By then Fallon will be 44, not an insurmountable age for a Flat jockey.

But he will have forfeited two more Classic seasons — and Coolmore will want to concentrate on gaining the maximum success in these campaigns.

Racemail understands that Murtagh, 37, a willing, regular and able substitute for Fallon in Britain for the past two seasons, will be appointed in the short term.

Coolmore are known to prefer an Irish-born jockey but approaches have been made to the 2006 British champion Ryan Moore, who has decided to sign a retainer to ride for Sir Michael Stoute next year.

The other possible long term candidate for Coolmore is last year's Irish champion jockey Declan McDonogh who is young, reliable, hard working and talented.

He is the son of former Irish jump jockey Dessie McDonogh who trained Monksfield to win the Champion Hurdle in 1978 and 1979.

But he is not top of Coolmore's shopping list.

Fallon is understood to be selling his Co. Tipperary home and has told friends that he might try to pursue a career in America.

It would be possible for him to ride for Michael Tabor there, but not until he re-acquired his licence.

Any drugs ban imposed by the French would apply worldwide, probably for 18 months from the date of the ban.

It emerged over the weekend that Fallon had been informed of his failed drug test while at Longchamp riding nine horses including Arc winner Dylan Thomas at the beginning of October.

In other words he had this knowledge bearing down on him throughout the two-month duration of the Old Bailey trial before the Judge Mr Justice Forbes called off the prosecution to prevent further humiliation.

It is truly astonishing, but entirely in character, that Fallon's self destruct button should activate itself just when he has evaded another potential hazard.

Let's hope, for his sake, it isn't terminal to his career.