RACING EPSOM DERBY:IT HAS taken a Queen to elbow "King Kieren" off centre-stage ahead of the Investec Epsom Derby and if Carlton House's minor setback turns more major before Saturday the spotlight could remorselessly turn once again towards racing's most controversial jockey.

Kieren Fallon’s ability to attract headlines is exceeded only by his talent for making horses pass the red lollipop ahead of their rivals. But it is his record of passing Epsom’s lollipop – the piece of wood that the great Italian horseman, Federico Tessio, described as the reason the thoroughbred is as it is – that has once again illustrated Fallon’s remarkable resilience.

Earlier this week that intriguing cocktail raised its head again. Despite a paid retainer to ride the 2,000 Guineas third Native Khan in Saturday’s blue riband, and just days after partnering the grey colt in a gallop over the famous Derby course, the Clare-born jockey jumped ship to ride Recital for Aidan O’Brien.

It was a move that disappointed some and surprised no one. Even Native Khan’s trainer Ed Dunlop seemed to sense it was coming. After that gallop, when asked if Fallon had made a firm commitment to ride Native Khan, Dunlop simply said: “As firm as Mr Fallon makes any commitment.” It was a comment containing more than a little exasperation but also a generous dollop of indulgence.

At this stage of his life, racing seems to have come to the conclusion that Fallon isn’t going to change his spots and despite a trail of broken promises, scandal and embarrassment, the man who has won the Derby three times, and the Oaks on four occasions, is back at the top of the game.

Because in an industry where the most important race is always the next one, Fallon’s ability on the big day will always encourage someone to give him another chance – and especially so around Epsom.

As well as Recital, O’Brien has entrusted his former stable jockey with the spin on his number one Oaks hope, Wonder Of Wonders, on Friday. It is no coincidence that such a major realignment of the old team is coming this week.

Lester Piggott will forever be the Epsom maestro but no jockey has come closer to emulating Old Stoneface around the switchback course in the last couple of decades than Fallon.

Oath in 1999 and North Light in 2004 were as straightforward a pair of Derby victories as Epsom’s notorious rollercoaster track ever allows.

But 2003’s success on Kris Kin remains as daring a piece of jockeyship as has been seen in the 221 year history of the great race.

When Fallon teamed up with Recital at Leopardstown last month it had been over a year since his previous ride for O’Brien. The long gap was hardly surprising considering the fallout from a tumultuous three-year stint as Ballydoyle number one which contained a couple of positive cocaine tests, bans in Britain and the USA and a lengthy race-fixing trial, all of which finally stretched Coolmore’s patience to breaking point.

But with Epsom in mind, and with riding arrangements at Ballydoyle in a state of flux due to Johnny Murtagh’s resignation, it was to Fallon that racing’s most powerful operation turned to when requiring a sure touch in the race that means most to it.

Recital didn’t impress everybody that day, hanging to his left in a way that makes the prospect of Epsom’s famous camber look less than appealing. However, Fallon made the sort of encouraging noises about the colt that were probably Ed Dunlop’s first inkling that disappointment was a-coming.

The package of a return to the Coolmore fold, and the couple of prime Classic hopes that they provide him this week, always meant the Irishman was going to side with O’Brien when it came to the crunch.

The trainer has plenty riding on this week after a nine-year gap to his last Epsom success that seemed improbable when High Chaparral added to Galileo’s victory in 2002.

Fallon has a lot riding on Epsom too, though. Despite a CV brimming with big-race success, it is still over a year and a half since he last tasted a Group One victory, and that came in America in 2009 when Gitano Hernando won the Goodwood Handicap.

Since then there has been a consistent flow of winners that has done much to rehabilitate the jockey’s reputation but a Classic victory would be the icing on that particular cake.

So far this week, jockey arrangements for the Derby have resembled jumping beans. Quite what will happen if Carlton House is ruled out, and Ryan Moore becomes available, is interesting to ponder.

But Kieren Fallon will be hoping things continue to jump his way.