A terse two-paragraph press release from the Jockey Club yesterday brought the curtain down officially on a trouble-plagued apprentice jockeys' award scheme. The special 'champion apprentice' award was sponsored by London Clubs but the news seeped out six weeks ago that the casino-based operation was going to pull out. Announcing that the award scheme was at an end, the Jockey Club statement added: 'The Jockey Club wishes to express its sincere appreciation of the support given by the London Clubs over the past years and for the success of the scheme so far.' The scheme's success is debatable in that Simon H.K. Yim, who won it twice, is now de-licensed and, on his second stint in England, left halfway through. He also left trainer Mark Tompkins in the lurch. Another former champion apprentice, Stanley K.M. Chin, is out on bail as a result of ICAC action. Unfortunately, the decision does hit an above-average crop of current claimers. Meanwhile, British champion jockey Kieren Fallon, due to ride in a special jockeys' invitation race in Bombay on Sunday, has the threat of a suspension hanging over his head upon his return to Hong Kong. Fallon will be interviewed by the stipendiary stewards before racing begins at Sha Tin next Thursday about his use of the whip on third-placed Multi-Winner in the sixth event at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. He has already been fined twice this season for illegal use of the whip. On the last occasion he was warned that a repetition would lead to a suspension. See Page 21