The turf
Greed or naivety?
Robin Oakley
Graham Bradley's face outside Jockey Club headquarters, where he had been disqualified for eight years from stepping on to a racecourse, told it all. He is 42, but the empty, forced and frightened grin was the expression of a cheeky schoolboy who had always thought he could either charm or outsmart the teachers and who had suddenly, chillingly realised that they had always been on to him and that he was being expelled from the only world where he counted for anything.
For passing on 'privileged and sensitive information' for money and rewards to a notorious criminal (friendship with whom, typically, he had openly acknowledged) exjockey Bradley had to be punished. But there will be little celebration in the racing world over that necessity. We all knew Brad had sailed close to the wind. He has not so much courted controversy as sailed through life at the helm of a vessel bearing that name. I still do not know whether his mistakes resulted from greed or naivety. But I have thrilled at his cool skills in the saddle and I have enjoyed his company. There are few in racing with whom you could have more fun over a plate of bacon sandwiches in the Queen's Arms.
At the moment that Brad's glittering career is buried in ignominy we should note, too, that his was the first consoling hand for others when they were down and that few did so much to pass on their skills to up and coming young jockeys. When Adrian Maguire and then McCoy were in trouble for their use of the whip, it was Bradley who helped them through. It is a rare kind of man who can have three champion jockeys of the probity of Peter Scudamore, Richard Dunwoody and Tony McCoy queuing to act as character witnesses. And let us remember, too, the irrepressible spirit of a man who, as a light aircraft tumbled through the skies in a Caribbean storm and others were screaming, was heard to declare in broad Yorkshire, 'Oh, quit moaning lads. There'll be some fine opportunities for a few conditionals if this lot goes down.'
The Bradley affair is the latest blow to racing's image. But there are happier images too. Charlie Mann's hat brims remain as impossibly wide as ever. Nicky Henderson's ties are still as bright. Venetia Williams invariably steps into the unsaddling enclosure looking as though she has walked out of a Bond Street shop window, and a wonderful Hennessy Gold Cup day at Newbury proved a reminder that all three of them continue to train racehorses remarkably well. As Charlie walked to the winner's enclosure after the opening novice hurdle, he was accompanied by one owner, Mike Rowland, who had bought a share in the horse over lunch only the previous day. One owner's wife was trilling delightedly into her mobile, 'It was only out for a try.' Some try. Keltic Bard beat a lot of good horses from leading yards and should go far. Venetia's Bleu Superbe emerged the winner after an epic duel with Ian Balding's Logician in the 2m handicap chase, after which she ruminated on the ironies of racing. Bleu Superbe had been bought in France as a potential Gold Cup horse and Logician in Australia with the Grand National in mind, There they were contesting the chasing equivalent of a sprint.
Nicky was bouncing after Bacchanal, these days a seasoned chaser, had won the 3m stayers hurdle. 'The only problem turning into the straight was holding him.' All they had been doing was giving Bacchanal a prep race for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day but he hurdled better than ever and won in style. Provided he gets the soft going he needs at Kempton, Bacchanal, whose Gold Cup possibilities are limited by his habit of jumping right, will take a lot of stopping. It was owner Madeleine Lloyd-Webber's birthday party that night and the delighted trainer joked that her husband Andrew would have to upgrade the wine after that victory.
The big race proved a surprise victory for the Willie Mullins-trained Be My Royal, after ten horses had turned into Newbury's long finishing straight with a chance. Jockey cool counts for a lot in the Hennessy and David Casey deserves much credit. He said afterwards that he knew his mount would stay, 'I thought if I kept a little for after the last we'd be sure of a place.' There he asked Be My Royal for a big one, got a generous response, and their drive for the line proved irresistible.
All credit to the winner but the training performance of the race was probably that of Lavinia Taylor. Readers of this column will not be surprised to know that my money was on her Gingembre, who finished a gallant second for the second time. having done so in 2000 before taking the Scottish National and then missing a year with a leg injury. Gingembre had proved his wellbeing on a Wetherby comeback, but ten days before the Hennessy had scoped so badly that he had to be put on antibiotics and missed some crucial work. Another scope a few days before the race was iffy, only just good enough to allow him to take part. If that is what he can do without being fully wound up, there is plenty more to come.
I could not include Gingembre on this year's Ten to Follow because at the time of writing he was yet to appear after his injury. He now becomes an honorary 11th. When John Taylor told me at Newbury that he fancied a crack at the Gold Cup I took the 20-1, reckoning that, though he wouldn't beat Best Mate, it was fair eachway value. But now Lavinia says the National is the more likely target for Gingembre. As the 16-1 favourite for Aintree, he is equally good value.
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