{{Short description|British National Hunt jockey}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality | name = Graham Bradley | image = Cheltenham Gold Cup (5524332958).jpg | caption = Bradley with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, 1983 | occupation = [[Jockey]] | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|09|08}} | birth_place = [[Wetherby]], England | race = [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]] (1983) <br/> [[Irish Grand National]] (1985) <br/> [[Champion Hurdle]] (1996) <br/> [[Coral Gold Cup|Hennessy Gold Cup]] (1997) | horses = [[Bregawn]], [[Collier Bay (horse)|Collier Bay]], Suny Bay, [[Wayward Lad]] }}
'''Graham Bradley''' (born 8 September 1960) is a retired [[National Hunt racing|National Hunt]] [[jockey]], whose victories included the [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]], the [[Champion Hurdle]] and the [[Irish Grand National]]. Over a 22-year career, in which he rode more than 700 winners, he was at times involved in controversies and, in 2002, he was banned from the sport by the [[Jockey Club]] for five years.
==Racing career== Bradley grew up in [[Wetherby]] in [[West Yorkshire]] and was taught to ride by his father, Norman Bradley, who trained racehorses. He rode his first winner aged 20, with his career taking off when he joined the yard of Yorkshire trainer [[Michael Dickinson (horseman)|Michael Dickinson]]. <ref name=Wayward>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/2518567.stm|title=The Wayward Lad|date=19 November 2002|work=BBC}}</ref> In 1982, he won the [[Coral Gold Cup|Hennessy Gold Cup]] at [[Newbury Racecourse|Newbury]] on [[Bregawn]] for Dickinson. The partnership then went on to win the 1983 [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]], in which Dickinson saddled the first five home.<ref name=Wayward/><ref name=controversy>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/bradley-stepping-aside-from-controversy-741338.html|title=Bradley stepping aside from controversy|date=12 October 1999|work=Independent}}</ref> Over the course of his career, Bradley achieved nine victories at the [[Cheltenham Festival]], including the [[1996 Champion Hurdle]]. Having been jocked off favourite Alderbrook, he won on 9/1 chance [[Collier Bay (horse)|Collier Bay]], who started at odds of 9/1 and beat the favourite into second place. Bradley won the [[Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase|Grand Annual Chase]] four times, a post-1945 record which remains unequalled in 2025.<ref name=stats>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/jockey/1523/graham-bradley/stats|title=Graham Bradley|access-date=21 May 2025|work=Racing Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/champion-hurdle-winner-collier-bay-dies-at-the-age-of-28-aNgy21z0Gmg0/|title=Old pays tribute to 'street-fighting' Champion Hurdle winner Collier Bay|date=11 December 2017|work=Racing Post}}</ref>
On his first ride in Ireland, Bradley won the 1985 [[Irish Grand National]] at [[Fairyhouse Racecourse|Fairyhouse]] on [[Rhyme 'n' Reason]]. He went on to have a number of successes in Ireland over the years.<ref name=Belfast>{{cite web|url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/other-sport/horse-racing/hes-disappearing-before-eyes-irish-31470304|title='He's disappearing before my eyes' - Irish Grand National winner's heartbreaking battle with rare form of dementia|date=19 April 2025|work=Belfast Live}}</ref> A victory in the [[Grand National|Aintree Grand National]] eluded Bradley; his best result was second place on Suny Bay in the [[1998 Grand National|1998 race]].<ref name=Wayward/> He had won the 1997 [[Coral Gold Cup|Hennessy Gold Cup]] at [[Newbury Racecourse|Newbury]] on the popular grey four months previously.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1119246.stm|title=Suny Bay retired|date=15 January 2001|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Bradley also won the 1984 and 1986 [[Welsh Grand National]].<ref name=veteran>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-veteran-who-has-defied-the-years-1087191.html|title=Racing: Veteran who has defied the years|date=13 April 1999|work=Independent}}</ref> In the 1985/86 season, [[Wayward Lad]], trained by Monica Dickinson, provided Bradley with a victories in the [[Charlie Hall Chase]] and [[King George VI Chase]], as well as second places in the [[Tommy Whittle Chase]], the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the [[Aintree Bowl]]. Wayward Lad was also the inspiration for the title of the jockey's autobiography.<ref name=veteran/>
On his retirement in 1999, Bradley had ridden over 700 winners, with his best season being 1986/87 when he rode 53 winners. A talented and stylish rider, and a popular figure in the weighing room, his career was at times mired in controversy.<ref name=controversy/><ref name=veteran/> In 1982 he was suspended for two months for having placed a bet at [[Cartmel Racecourse]].<ref name=five>{{Cite web|date=10 September 2010|title=Claims Five: Why Graham Bradley is a legend|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/sep/10/claims-five-graham-bradley-legend|work=the Guardian}}</ref> In 1987 he received a three-month suspension under the "non-triers" rule after a race at [[Market Rasen Racecourse|Market Rasen]].<ref name=five/> The [[Jockey Club]] undertook an investigation in 1996 after Bradley pulled up the favourite, Man Mood, in a two-horse race at [[Warwick Racecourse|Warwick]]. No evidence of wrongdoing was found and the case was dropped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/programmes/panorama/horse_racing/html/number3.stm|title=Panorama: November 5 1996 - Man Mood race|access-date=21 May 2025|work=BBC News}}</ref> Bradley was arrested in January 1999 and charged in April with race-fixing in relation to the same ride. Charges were dropped in June 1999 and he was able to regain his licence, which had been suspended by the Jockey Club when he was charged.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-charge-dropped-against-bradley-1099241.html|title=Racing: Charge dropped against Bradley|date=9 June 1999|work=The Independent}}</ref> His final ride before he retired was a win on Ontheboil in November 1999.<ref name=Wayward/>
==Post-racing career== Following his retirement, Bradley set up as a bloodstock agent, in particular sourcing National Hunt horses from Germany. Amongst his purchases were the future Cheltenham winners Seebald (for footballers [[Robbie Fowler]] and [[Steve McManaman]]) and [[Well Chief]] (for [[David Johnson (racehorse owner)|David Johnson]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/10384030/Graham-Bradley-finds-road-to-redemption-a-hard-slog.html|title=Graham Bradley finds road to redemption a hard slog|date=16 October 2013|work=The Telegraph|url-access=subscription}}</ref> His new career was cut short by further scandal. In June 2002, he was charged with five offences by the Jockey Club, including giving inside information to drug smuggler and gambler [[Brian Brendan Wright]] in return for rewards, something to which he had admitted when appearing as a character witness at the trial of fellow jockey Barrie Wright, who was acquitted of conspiracy to import cocaine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-serious-charges-confront-bradley-129448.html|title=Racing: Serious charges confront Bradley|date=27 November 2002|work=Independent}}</ref> The accusations also featured in a [[BBC]] ''[[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]]'' programme on corruption in racing, broadcast in October 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/3148218.stm|title=Panorama puts racing under spotlight|date=6 October 2003|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> After a three-day hearing at the Jockey Club in November 2002, Bradley was found guilty of three offences: giving inside information in return for rewards; giving inaccurate information about his relationship with Barrie Wright to the licensing committee in June 1999; entering the weighing room on two occasions without permission. A charge of accepting proceeds from bets was not upheld. A charge of having tried to get the 1987 Cheltenham Gold Cup abandoned was also not upheld, but Bradley was fined £2,500 for having brought racing into disrepute by publishing the untrue story in his autobiography. The Jockey Club imposed an eight-year ban on Bradley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/2516353.stm|title=Bradley banned from any racing activity for eight years|date=29 November 2003|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> This was reduced to five years on appeal. In October 2003, Bradley lost an appeal against his ban in the [[High Court of Justice]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/oct/02/horseracing.gregwood|title=Bradley fails in his appeal|date=2 October 2004|work=The Guardian}}</ref> During the ban, he was given a one-day licence to enable him to ride in the Leger Legends Stakes, a charity race at [[Doncaster Racecourse|Doncaster]] in September 2010.<ref name=five/>
In May 2013, Bradley applied for a licence to become a trainer. He then faced an investigation by the [[British Horseracing Authority]] (BHA) into whether he had been training with a licence held by former jockey Brendan Powell. A disciplinary hearing in October 2014 cleared both Bradley and Powell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/29805432|title=Graham Bradley and Brendan Powell cleared of BHA charge|date=28 October 2014|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Bradley withdrew his application for a licence after the BHA informed him that they would oppose it on the grounds that he was not a suitable person to hold a trainer's licence.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Graham Bradley withdraws application for training licence|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12426/9977530/graham-bradley-withdraws-application-for-training-licence|work=Sky Sports}}</ref> The BHA also turned down an application by Bradley's wife to register as an owner, but the Irish authorities allowed Bradley to register as the owner of Marchons Ensemble, who won twice on the flat in Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=26 June 2019|title=Graham Bradley back in the game as an owner in Ireland|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/jun/26/talking-horses-graham-bradley-back-in-the-game-as-an-owner-in-ireland|access-date=2021-10-28|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/2710261/marchons-ensemble/form|title=Marchons Ensemble|access-date=21 May 2025|work=Racing Post}}</ref>
==Personal life== Bradley published his autobiography, ''The Wayward Lad'', written with Steve Taylor, in 2000.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K35vOQAACAAJ|title=The Wayward Lad|date=2000|isbn=978-1-903267-00-4 |last1=Bradley |first1=Graham |last2=Taylor |first2=Steve |publisher=Greenwater }}</ref> He married his long-term partner Amanda Wilson in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] in July 2000.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bradley to be married in Hull today|date=9 July 2000|publisher=Racing Post}}</ref> The couple have a daughter, Georgia May, and moved to France in 2020. Soon after the move, Bradley was diagnosed with [[semantic dementia]].<ref name=Belfast/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Graham}} [[Category:British jockeys]] [[Category:British racehorse owners and breeders]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]