The demise of Horatio Nelson who was Euthanized after injuries sustained in yesterday's Vodafone Epsom Derby overshadowed one of the most exciting Epsom Derby's in the past 8 years. Trainer Aidan O'Brien was at the stalls to supervise his four runners and could be seen counsulting with Fallon. Speaking at Chantilly today when he will ride the favorite for the Prix du Jockey-Club Aussie Rules, Fallon was adamant that he and O'Brien had made a joint decision that there was no reason not to let Horatio Nelson take hi chance. "I just felt he was a little bit flat-he wasn't giving the same bounce that he had done" said Fallon "But he was fine when I trotted him up and down a few times, in fact the more I trotted him the better he felt. I was happy with him. If I wasn't I wouldn't have gone round on him." "He travelled brilliantly on the snaff in the race then we went to go challenge and it happened. Obviously it must have been one of the uneven bits of ground that you can get on the camber at Epsom. He twisted a joint and that did it." "George Baker (who rode Rising Cross the day before in the Epsom Oaks) did something at the same part of the straight. It doesn't take much when you are on the camber for a horse to lose it's footing. The track rides like that-these things happen." Fallon paid tribute to the colt who sent off as the second favorite, on the strength of his top class two-year-old form and great workouts in the build up to the Derby. "It seems strange to say this now but he was one of the best little horses I have ever been around." Fallon said "He wanted to do everything for you, that was his biggest strength. They're the horses you want to be associated with the-the ones with great tempermant who can't do enough for you." "He shouldn't have been beaten in the Dewhurst, even though Sir Percy has gone on to do great things, and with Dylan Thomas so close in third and I know how much better my fellow was it's hard not to think about what might have been."
