Relieved Fradd looks to the future - and asks to be given new licence

Acquitted jockey Robbie Fradd will seek to be relicensed to ride in Hong Kong at a meeting with Jockey Club officials this morning.

'We have a number of things to discuss,' Fradd said outside the District Court yesterday following his acquittal on a charge of cheating at gambling. One of the things I want to talk about is how my position stands with regard to the Jockey Club and riding here again.'

Fradd, who has been suspended from riding in Hong Kong since his arrest by the Independent Commission Against Corruption on February 6, declined to comment further until after this morning's meeting. The Jockey Club is expected to hold a press conference later today.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Jockey Club's director of racing, said last night that Fradd had requested the meeting without specifying his reasons. 'However, I would expect that Robbie will want to discuss his future. We will examine this with him and take it from there,' he said.

Fradd, who was champion jockey in the 1999-2000 season, has been riding in Hong Kong for five years and has continued his highly successful career in his native South Africa during the period of his suspension here.

Jockey Club officials have been strongly supportive of Fradd during the past nine months, but the licensing decision was made potentially more difficult yesterday when Deputy Judge Colin Mackintosh said the jockey's riding aboard Winning Dragon at Happy Valley in January had brought 'heavy suspicion' on him.