Cieren Fallon: I was planning to target champion apprentice title in 2020

Cieren Fallon is in pole position to bag the champion apprentice title on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot next Saturday, an accolade he was supposed to be targeting in 2020.

The 20-year-old jockey moved on to 49 winners for the season after scoring on Busby at Kempton on Thursday night, taking him eight clear of title rival Sean Davis.

The son of six-time champion jockey Kieren, who was supposed to be feeling his way in the apprentice ranks this year with an eye to next season, has set the bar high in his quest for winners after joining the William Haggas stable two years ago.

He even revealed that he wanted to surpass the achievements of his three-time Derby-winning father, despite never having watched him ride live until the Legends race at Doncaster last month.

He said: “I never watched my dad ride while I was growing up as I was at boarding school in Wales and have only watched his big winners on YouTube in recent years.

"What he did only spurs me on as we're competitive in whatever we do together, so I really want to beat him, whether it's badminton or table tennis.

"I've got big goals. If you set yourself to just one championship and one Derby, when you've achieved that what do you do next? Hopefully, I can achieve what he achieved."

On picking up the apprentice title this year, he said: "It's been a big surprise to me as we were thinking about next year and I only rode three winners in the first month, but everything just took off and the big month was September when I had 15 winners.

"I must give thanks to Mr Haggas as well as my jockey coaches, Michael Hills and Michael Tebbutt, who have been a great help.

"My agent Phil Shea has got some nice outside rides for me and it was great to have winners at Glorious Goodwood and in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock."

As well as his dad, Fallon will be aiming to surpass the achievements of Oisin Murphy, who is certain of picking up his first jockeys' championship at Ascot on Saturday.

Murphy, 24, who has some nice rides lined up for Qipco Champions Day, including Benbatl in the Group 1 QEII Stakes, revealed Haggas has also helped him towards his goals this season.

Murphy said: "Mr Haggas said I was trying to do too much last year and I now ride out on one day a week instead of four.

"The other plus point is that I haven't had a suspension at all this year, whereas I had loads last year when I was letting my horse drift or using the whip one time too many."

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