UNDER-FIRE Kieren Fallon's title odds were lengthened yesterday as the racing grapevine buzzed with rumours that he has been sacked by Bosra Sham's owner Wafic Said.

The Tote took the view that Falion's controversial defeat on Bosra Sham in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse Stakes would have a detrimental effect on his chances of landing the jockeys' title for the first time.

Even though he still holds a lead over Frankie Dettori and Pat Eddery they have pushed out his price to 7 to 2 from 7 to 4. Deftori is quoted at 4 to 5 with Eddery 7 to 4.

There was no official confirmation yesterday that Fallon would no longer ride for Syrian businessman Said. But it appeared significant that the 32- year-old jockey has been taken off the owner's Lady Carla, a runner in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket today.

Fallon had been pencilled in to ride the filly at the five-day stage. Instead he has been switched to stablemate Dushyantor.

Said's racing manager Tim Bulwer-Long did not dismiss speculation that the owner would no longer employ the jockey. "There is no state of play at the moment. But I can confirm that Willie Ryan will ride Lady Carla tomorrow," he said.

"The owner is abroad and we might have something else to say at Newmarket tomorrow.

Fallon has been stung by a welter of criticism over his riding of Bosra Sham, the favourite for the Eclipse. The Irishman, in his first season as stable jockey to Bosra Sham's trainer Henry Cecil, found his path blocked at a crucial stage in the Sandown straight before filling third place behind Pilsudski.

Fallon was reluctant to talk much more about the weekend events after guiding Royal Circus to victory in the first race at Bath yesterday.

"Do you believe everything you read in the papers?" he said when quizzed over the possibility of riding Bosra Sham in future. He added: "I told everybody what I thought about the "whole affair on Saturday and as far as I am concerned that's the case closed."

If Fallon is replaced by Said, 10-times champion Pat Eddery is the favourite to fill his seat.

But Eddery's agent Terry Ellis insisted yesterday that no approach had been made. "I don't know anything about it at all," he said. "And I don't want, to stir any more fuel to the fire. We have had no contact made with us, and I think the kid (Fallon) has had enough aggro already."