The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board leaned heavily in favour of Racing Victoria Chief Steward Terry Bailey when handing down their guilty verdict to Danny Nikolic’s misconduct charges.

After hearing evidence that Bailey and Nikoilc had a long running battle, the Board came to the conclusion that Nikolic had threatened Bailey at the Seymour races on September 4 resulting in charges being laid against the embattled jockey.

“We find it inherently unlikely Mr Bailey manufactured such a threat,” RAD Board deputy chairman Brian Forrest said.

Forest went on to say that Nikolic was an unreliable witness following evidence that the jockey submitted and stuck with Baily’s version of events.

“Nikolic is not a reliable witness,” Forrest said.

“He is motivated by self-preservation and self-interest.”

The RAD Board will reconvene the inquiry on October 2 to impose a penalty for the serious charges and Nikolic is looking at a lengthy time on the sideline which could be the end of his riding career.

Nikolic has been in the top echelon of Australian jockeys for the past ten years and his most recent success at the elite level have been with the smart mare Mosheen who collected three Group 1 victories last Autumn as well as the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington last November.

The Robert Smerdon trained mare took out the $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3 before going to Sydney to win the $500,000 Turnpoint Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick  and the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.