Graham Bradley

Interesting responses to it, too. As is often the case, he's dividing opinion because on the one hand he sold racing info to a drug dealer who's currently doing a longer stretch than many killers, but on the other raised thousands of pounds for charity during his imposed ban. He didn't stop any horses, either, as far as I know.

I don't suppose there'll ever be a concensus on his actions when there are so many other examples - many mentioned in the responses - which conflict with the higher ethics racing aspires to, and which haven't been so harshly dealt with.

Many people think racing's bent anyway, just as they think all boy scoutmasters are kiddy fiddlers. You won't get past blind bias, I'm afraid, no matter how hard you try to convince people otherwise.

As for the BHA permitting him the licence to ride in this particular race - he's already been active in raising funds for good causes, so why deny him the chance to add to that effort? The organisation would have had to have had a very good, legal reason to have stopped him. It clearly didn't, and wasn't going to fan old embers by trying to do so.

Bit of a storm in a teacup - is real news a bit slow at present?
 
Agree with The Guardian article entirely - so it's OK to be accepted again into Racing as long as you raise a few grand for charity and you've done your time ? The fact that you profited from supporting the cocaine trade is just one of those things, then ?

I am sure he's a lovely bloke, etc etc but it still doesn't make a jot of difference. If he was a genuinely 'good bloke' he would have raised the money anyway and not benefitted from the publicity raised regarding his license being granted for 24 hours. Sorry, but I am just cynical enough to think this is just a vehicle for complete vindication and repatriation into the sport.
 
being likeable does not excuse stuff..it does not mean when you get caught that its in some way you have been targetted or picked on..it means you got caught..doesn't matter if you help old ladies across the road..you got caught
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I hope I never get caught helping old ladies across the street, lose all me cred, like innit?
 
That Greg Wood article is full of venom, so far as I can see. Again, it's a case of 'racing good guys' v Brad, if you believe what it has to say. The reality would be very different - the majority of the NH world are rightly pleased to see that he is allowed back on the racecourses after his lengthy ban. People have short memories as well - let's not forget the likes of Karl Burke, Fergal Lynch, Darren Williams, Tony Culhane and on have been found guilty of far worse in a lot of peoples' eyes - not accepting money for tips, accepting money to stop horses - yet have received piddly little bans and are back riding or training again, without anyone so much as batting any eyelid and letting them get on with it. What about Mick Quinn? Now, he's a good case in point as he has a similar effervescent personality as Brad, many people think good ol' Sumo is a great bloke, which yes, he can be. However he was found guilty of arguably one of the worst crimes a trainer could be found guilty of, namely treating your horses in such a manner that they were left at death's door. You don't see Greg Wood writing an article forceably saying he shouldn't be allowed near a horse again, do you?
 
Shadow Leader said:
That Greg Wood article is full of venom, so far as I can see.
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I don't read any venom in it whatsoever, Shadz. It's a complicated subject which often isn't dealt with in the manner it might be, and I'm sure there are bigger scumbags than Brad riding in the Legends race (no-one seems to mention that John Francome was guilty of passing information for reward, and few doubt he stopped a few in his time, but he certainly isn't reviled for it), but the points Greg Wood makes are perfectly valid.
 
Ok, so that was the wrong word, but the article as a whole is pretty damning of both Brad and the BHA for even letting him come back in the first place. How about an article damning the BHA for letting Quinn look after another horse, or Culhane [or countless others] ride in another race? In my opinion it's precisely that he has reserved the whole piece for attacking Brad and not one of countless other crooks currently licenced by the BHA that shows the venom.
 
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Shadow Leader said:
Ok, so that was the wrong word, but the article as a whole is pretty damning of both Brad and the BHA for even letting him come back in the first place. How about an article damning the BHA for letting Quinn look after another horse, or Culhane [or countless others] ride in another race? In my opinion it's precisely that he has reserved the whole piece for attacking Brad and not one of countless other crooks currently licenced by the BHA that shows the venom.
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I'm sure he feels exactly the same about Culhane (I've got into arguments about him before on here myself) and others, it's just that this week, the spotlight in on Bradley and as such, articles will be written about him.

It'll be next weeks chip paper but the points made were very relevant in the circumstances this week.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Ok, so that was the wrong word, but the article as a whole is pretty damning of both Brad and the BHA for even letting him come back in the first place. How about an article damning the BHA for letting Quinn look after another horse, or Culhane [or countless others] ride in another race? In my opinion it's precisely that he has reserved the whole piece for attacking Brad and not one of countless other crooks currently licenced by the BHA that shows the venom.
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You know the answer to that perfectly well. Graham Bradley is the only one of the above to stand up in a court of law and naively profess his guilt. And you also know why the powers that be had a vendetta against Brad, and that's once again because he was naive enough to thumb his nose at authority throughout his career. He's no worse than dozens of others before him, or indeed since, but he has simply never understood that the fact that others have got away with murder doesn't mean he was hard done by.
 
rorydelargy said:
You know the answer to that perfectly well. Graham Bradley is the only one of the above to stand up in a court of law and naively profess his guilt. And you also know why the powers that be had a vendetta against Brad, and that's once again because he was naive enough to thumb his nose at authority throughout his career. He's no worse than dozens of others before him, or indeed since, but he has simply never understood that the fact that others have got away with murder doesn't mean he was hard done by.
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...well put.
 
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, Rory. As you say, many before and after have done worse yet get away with it scot-free. That just can't be right, especially not when Brad continues to get hounded by various factions. Round here he's very popular; only this evening someone said to me how good it was that he had had a good race.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, Rory. As you say, many before and after have done worse yet get away with it scot-free. That just can't be right, especially not when Brad continues to get hounded by various factions. Round here he's very popular; only this evening someone said to me how good it was that he had had a good race.
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There are people within racing with poor judgement..its those people that keep the game the distant faction it is from most people in the street..its like an exclusive club..incestous even.

If a person killed another person...are we not supposed to lock them up just because others in the past have got away with it?

that type of logic doesn't really cut it SL..i'm sorry he is liked by folk within racing..but it won't make people outside that gathering... view him as anything but just another one that got caught out.
 
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Euronymous said:
That's a terrible analogy Stan.
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They both probably had a similar amount of Charlie in their time.

I just can't stand it when people are defended on popularity grounds, let alone within the backward clique of NH racing.

That Panorama programme ruined racing in the public eye for a long time and to see all the jockeys and Newbury racecourse officials support him with Carson sticking up for him too was sickening.

I couldn't care how well liked he is with Countryside Alliance supporters etc. He is one of a huge number of people who has significantly tarnished racing's image with the public over the past ten years, yes others might still be riding, training and even laying bets on UK horse racing but that doesn't mean it's acceptable to bring him back, let alone in a "legends" race.
 
He's done his time though. And unlike a certain snooker player and most footballers who get caught out in whatever shenanigans they all get up to Graham's punishment obviously hurt.
 
Gamla Stan said:
They both probably had a similar amount of Charlie in their time.

I just can't stand it when people are defended on popularity grounds, let alone within the backward clique of NH racing.

That Panorama programme ruined racing in the public eye for a long time and to see all the jockeys and Newbury racecourse officials support him with Carson sticking up for him too was sickening.

I couldn't care how well liked he is with Countryside Alliance supporters etc. He is one of a huge number of people who has significantly tarnished racing's image with the public over the past ten years, yes others might still be riding, training and even laying bets on UK horse racing but that doesn't mean it's acceptable to bring him back, let alone in a "legends" race.
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that was really offensive with Carson..no time at all for him after that.

it represented total contempt for anyone outside the "circle"..ie soft arsed racing followers as we seem to be viewed by those from inside it
 
Euronymous said:
He's done his time though. And unlike a certain snooker player and most footballers who get caught out in whatever shenanigans they all get up to Graham's punishment obviously hurt.
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thats why its called a punishment

don't see what snooker players and footballers have got to do with it..shagging pros don't seem to compare really

in football and snooker..they have their own punishments for wrongdoings..again we are saying that we shouldn't punish people unless we know that every single offender..ever... has been punished..what a strange way to carry on..we would never find anyone gulity of owt if that was all we had in place
 
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Gamla Stan said:
I don't think anyone who damages a sport's reputation like that should be welcomed back at any time personally.
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thats one of the main problems with Bradley..he was very well known..whereas other jockeys mentioned on this thread aren't as well known


his case damaged racing...so did that sick Carson stuff

Carson should have been sacked from the beeb after that was aired..its wrong that he is associated with promoting racing

again..with Carson..ooh its that funny little fooker with the silly laugh..a grand lad
 
EC1 said:
his case damaged racing...so did that sick Carson stuff

Carson should have been sacked from the beeb after that was aired..its wrong that he is associated with promoting racing

again..with Carson..ooh its that funny little fooker with the silly laugh..a grand lad
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Carson gives himself more than enough rope to hang himself with by behaving like the village idiot on the BBC anyway.

He's one of the elite in racing's inner circle, I seem to recall he made some absurd defensive statement about Fallon's Ballinger Ridge ride at the time too.
 
Gamla Stan said:
Carson gives himself more than enough rope to hang himself with by behaving like the village idiot on the BBC anyway.

He's one of the elite in racing's inner circle, I seem to recall he made some absurd defensive statement about Fallon's Ballinger Ridge ride at the time too.
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i tend to just try and ignore him..every time i see him i think about the panorama stuff..wiped all those carpet beating rides he had.. completely from my mind

to be fair..i'd rather see Bradley on tv than Carson...and thats unthinkable really :)

a
 
EC1 said:
thats one of the main problems with Bradley..he was very well known..whereas other jockeys mentioned on this thread aren't as well known
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Oh, so that's alright then. It's fine to wreck everything as his main sin is that he's well known, unlike those unheard of ones found guilty for similar or worse, like Francome or Karl Burke - who, shock-horror!! were also part of the 'Legends' race at Donny. To think that I've been ridiculed for sticking up for Brad on the grounds that I actually know and like the guy, and he is well known and well liked in the circles within which I move, then comments like that are rolled out! :rolleyes:

Oh, and it appears that I am a major sinner too, as I am involved in the evil, evil working echelons of racing.....
 
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