Solicitors acting for Kieren Fallon said last night they expect the six-times champion jockey to be cleared of any allegations of race-fixing following his arrest.

The three jockeys and 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, as will the others bailed.

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.”

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.”

In response to the arrests, Andrew Chalk of Jockeys’ Association solicitors Withy King said: “We have been familiarised with certain aspects of the investigation, but it would obviously be premature to discuss it at this stage.

“However, I would like to emphasise that the arrests do not mean anything in themselves. An arrest enables the police to search premises and seize documents, as part of the information-gathering process. It does not mean that the arrested person is guilty of anything.”

Richard Brooks, also of Withy King, added: “Andrew and I were instructed when jockeys were arrested for alleged race-fixing in 1998. Those charges did not come to anything, and no-one should rush to any conclusions about the present investigation.

“We trust that once the information in this case has been gathered and analysed, the arrested jockeys will be exonerated.”

More than 130 police officers raided 19 addresses across Suffolk, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Hertfordshire and arrested a total of 16 people for alleged conspiracy to defraud.

The investigation centres on suspicions of corruption within horse racing and fixing the outcome of races.

It is understood the allegations involve more than 80 races over the last two years.

The 16 arrested included four men from Barnsley, two men and one woman from Sheffield, one man from Doncaster, two from Stevenage, Herts, and two from Newmarket.

They were in addition to Fallon, who is also Newmarket-based, Lynch, whose address is Minskip, North Yorkshire, and Burke and Williams, from Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

One of the horses involved in the Miles Rodgers case was Million Percent, who ran at Wolverhampton on November 14 last year. The horse was trained by Burke and ridden by Williams.

Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilmott of City Of London Police, who are heading the probe, said: “We have amassed a large amount of information, including computer records and documentation seized today, and will now commence the detailed task of examining it all.”

Jockey Club director of security Paul Scotney said: “Earlier this year it became apparent that what had started out as an investigation into possible breaches of the Rules of Racing had uncovered evidence which indicated criminal activity which could undermine the integrity of horseracing.

“Consequently, we decided to refer the matter to the City Of London Police. Our decision also took account of the fact that the Jockey Club has no powers of search or arrest and has very limited powers when investigating individuals not bound by the Rules of Racing.

“Ever since the City Of London Police took the case on, the investigation has been wholly in their hands. The Jockey Club has assisted the police when requested and acted as a conduit for information and intelligence relating to the investigation.”

Betting exchange Betfair were heavily involved in the early stages of the investigation through its Memorandum of Understanding with the Jockey Club.

A statement form the on-line firm read: “Betfair has played a key role in helping the police with their investigations into corruption in horseracing, leading to the arrests made by the City Of London police.

“Some of the evidence which led to the arrests resulted from the sophistication of technology now available, where all bets can be tracked, and all transactions linked to an end customer.

“Betfair has for some time been in discussions with the Jockey Club to use Betfair’s audit trail to investigate activity which it believed warranted further enquiry. The Jockey Club subsequently referred evidence from Betfair to the City Of London police.”