RACING/Investigation into race-fixing allegations: Solicitors acting for Kieren Fallon last night said they expect the six-times champion jockey to be cleared of any allegations of race-fixing following his arrest yesterday morning. Fallon, Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams, plus trainer Karl Burke, were among 16 people detained in dawn raids following an operation co-ordinated by City of London police.

Fallon was later released on bail from Bury St Edmunds police station and whisked away in a car. He will be required to attend a police station in London in two months' time. He revealed that police had questioned him over his involvement with Miles Rodgers, formerly a director of the Platinum Racing Club syndicate.

Rodgers was warned off for two years by the Jockey Club in March after he was found to have made substantial bets on Betfair that two of his syndicate's horses would lose. He has since described the Jockey Club ruling as "a travesty" and denies wrong-doing.

In a statement, Fallon's solicitor Christopher Stewart-Moore said: "Kieren Fallon has not been charged with any offence. Following an interview with the police in Bury St Edmunds he has been released without charge.

"The circumstances that relate to his arrest involve an individual who Kieren Fallon has met on one occasion and whose name he did not even know at the time the meeting happened.

"This was during the course of a 10-minute car journey from Leicester races to the airport at Leicester, where he then flew on to an evening meeting at Windsor. During this car journey Kieren Fallon did not speak to the individual concerned. In the circumstances, we do not anticipate that this matter will be taken any further by the police."

The controversy began after Fallon was one of 16 people arrested as part of an investigation into race-fixing. Fallon (39), who is originally from Crusheen, near Ennis in Co Clare, was arrested at his Newmarket home as part of a series of dawn raids carried out by City of London police.

Two other jockeys, 26-year-old Lynch, who is from Derry, and Williams, were arrested, as was the Middleham-based trainer Burke.

The raids took place in four locations in England and the City of London Assistant Commissioner Mike Bowron described the case as being "of great national significance, not just to racing, but to the wider public throughout the UK".

Fallon's home near Newmarket was besieged by the media throughout the day as the six-times champion jockey was questioned at the police station in nearby Bury St Edmunds.

It is the latest twist in a year that has seen Fallon scale the heights of racing success with an Oaks-Derby double at Epsom in June but has also seen him ride under a Jockey Club charge of bringing racing into disrepute.

That was part of the fallout from the Ballinger Ridge affair at Lingfield in March when Fallon was suspended for 21 days after stopping riding and being beaten for first place. He was afterwards accused of race-fixing by the News Of The World and a hearing into the disrepute charge has been scheduled for November.

A total of 130 police officers raided 19 addresses yesterday morning in their investigation into a reported 80 races over the last two years. Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilmott said: "We have amassed a large amount of information, including computer records and documentation seized today, and we will now commence the detailed task of examining it all."

Fallon, Lynch and Williams are expected to be back in action today. All three have booked rides, with Fallon due at Salisbury, Lynch at Redcar and Williams at Carlisle.

Jockey Club public relations director John Maxse said: "In the event that those concerned are released, then I would anticipate that they would be able to continue with their racing and riding, pending any further developments in the police investigation."

The decision not to suspend the riders marks a change of policy from the last time the police became involved in racing, when jockey Graham Bradley had his licence to ride suspended for two months in 1999 after being arrested in similar circumstances.

The investigation does not concern any racing in Ireland and the Turf Club chief executive, Denis Egan, said yesterday evening: "We are very concerned at what has happened in England but there is no evidence that such matters are happening in Ireland. We have constant checks and controls that are currently being upgraded and improved. We are also about to launch our new betting exchange strategy."

Burke's wife, Elaine, said from their North Yorkshire yard yesterday: "I don't know what it's all about. The whole thing is absolute nonsense. It's all exaggerated and spun. We were supposed to be celebrating our 20th anniversary today but instead of that I'm being asked questions about my husband."

The Jockey Club's director of security, Paul Scotney, said: "Earlier this year it became apparent that what had started as an investigation into possible breaches of the rules of racing had uncovered evidence which indicated criminal activity which could undermine the integrity of racing."