[NoChanceToDance]

O'Brien says Eagle Mountain
incident was "bizarre"



by Tony O'Hehir



AIDAN O'BRIEN on Sunday described the incident in the Grand Prix de Paris on Saturday which led to Kieren Fallon being injured and having to miss the winning ride on Peeping Fawn in Sunday's Darley Irish Oaks as being "most bizarre".

The trainer did not know long Fallon would be out of action for following his fall. The jockey had been taken off the track at Longchamp on a stretcher and wearing a neck brace. However, after an examination by the racecourse medic, it was decided Fallon did not need to go to hospital.

Speaking at the Curragh, O'Brien said: "Eagle Mountain was rammed from the side and from behind and came back with cuts. Kieren had a bad fall and was very lucky not to have been very badly injured.

"He was stiff and bruised after the fall and was given painkillers. This morning hisneck was still stiff and he was also suffering from stomach cramps, so he was unable to ride and we were lucky to get Johnny (Murtagh) to stand in for him on Peeping Fawn.

"Kieren will be having X-rays and scans and I don't know yet how long he will be out of action for."

Asked if an objection was considered following Eagle Mountain's dramatic exit from the Group 1 event, O'Brien said: " I wasn't at Longchamp but our representatives did think about objecting.

"To be honest it was decided that we did not need to lodge an objection and that the matter would be dealt with."