Jockey Graham Bradley appeared today at a court hearing lasting 26 minutes over claims of race-fixing.

The 38-year-old rider, based at Wantage, and five other men charged in connection with the race-fixing investigation were bailed to return to Bow Street Magistrates' Court on June 9.

Bradley, who was accompanied by his girlfriend and by Jockeys' Association chief Michael Caulfield, spoke only to confirm his address and date of birth.

He was charged yesterday with conspiring to cheat bookmakers in a two-horse race at Warwick on November 5, 1996. He was scheduled to appear before magistrates in London's Bow Street court following a long-running police investigation. Five other men are also in the dock on related charges.

Bradley, of West Street, Sparsholt, was charged at Charing Cross police station. It is alleged that he agreed his horse, Man Mood, would not win the race in question.

Bradley, who has protested his innocence since being arrested in January, is one of racing's most popular figures. He has won a host of big races in an illustrious career, including the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Bregawn and the 1986 Champion Hurdle on Collier Bay. Currently riding mainly for Simon Sherwood's Lambourn stables, he is best known today for his association with the grey Suny Bay, on whom he won the 1997 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury and finished 13th in last Saturday's Martell Grand National.

Bradley will also face a meeting with Jockey Club stewards.

Former trainer Charlie Brooks, who used to operate from the yard currently occupied by Sherwood until he quit the sport last summer, was arrested at the same time as Bradley, but was yesterday cleared of any involvement.

Story date: Wednesday 14 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.