Graham Bradley, the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey, has died at the age of 65. He left behind more than 700 winners from a 22-year career, a record that made him one of National Hunt’s most familiar names.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Bradley’s peak came in 1983 when he won the Gold Cup on Bregawn, with Michael Dickinson saddling the first five home. He also won the Champion Hurdle aboard Collier Bay in 1996, adding another headline race to a career built on big-race execution.
Wayward Lad and Suny Bay
His best-known wins stretched beyond Cheltenham. Bradley took the King George VI Chase aboard Wayward Lad in 1985 for Monica Dickinson, steered Rhyme 'n' Reason to victory in the Irish Grand National on his first ride in Ireland, and recorded four wins in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. In 1998, he was runner-up aboard Suny Bay in the Grand National behind Earth Summit, a near miss that left the last major race on his list just out of reach.
From saddle to bloodstock
Bradley retired from the saddle in 1999 and became a bloodstock agent, staying involved in racing after his riding career ended. Among the horses he bought was Well Chief, who went on to win the Arkle in 2004 for David Johnson. The losses now land hardest on a career that already had the wins, the near misses, and the scale of a rider who kept delivering across more than two decades.
