Jockey Danny Nikolic has pleaded not guilty to charges of improper practice and conduct prejudicial to the interests of racing at an inquiry in Melbourne.Last month, Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) stewards laid nine charges against Nikolic after a long running investigation into bets placed by professional punter Neville Clements on horses ridden by Nikolic.The 36-time Group One winning jockey pleaded guilty to a charge of insulting behaviour towards stewards and four counts of leaving the jockey

Jockey Danny Nikolic has pleaded not guilty to charges of improper practice and conduct prejudicial to the interests of racing at an inquiry in Melbourne.

Last month, Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) stewards laid nine charges against Nikolic after a long running investigation into bets placed by professional punter Neville Clements on horses ridden by Nikolic.

The 36-time Group One winning jockey pleaded guilty to a charge of insulting behaviour towards stewards and four counts of leaving the jockeys' room during race meetings without stewards' permission to use his mobile phone.

On Monday, the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board heard from Paul Holdenson, QC, legal counsel for the RVL stewards, that the panel had investigated 21 of Nikolic's rides and found that 11 of them were of particular interest as they had been laid to lose by family friend Clements.

A former rails bookmaker in Melbourne, Clements is a professional punter and commission agent who has been warned off for failing to produce his phone records to stewards at the Nikolic inquiry.

However, the RADB ruled on Monday that evidence to be given at the hearing by chief steward Terry Bailey was inadmissible as Nikolic had not been charged with any wrongdoing in any of the rides in question.

Nikolic has maintained his innocence throughout the marathon inquiry which he admitted had been stressful and affected his reputation.

Holdensen painstakingly listed all of the 11 horses, ridden by Nikolic, which Clements laid with betting exchange Betfair to lose.

They all lost except for one which he laid for the place and it ran second.

He stood to lose over $20,000 on three beaten horses had they won.

Holdensen said the stewards' circumstantial case centred around the communications between Nikolic before each of the races in question with Nikolic making calls to either Clements or another friend John O'Neill.

The stewards contend that on numerous occasions O'Neill acted as a go-between, calling Clements after speaking with Nikolic.

However the stewards admitted they did not have all the telephone records in question.

Holdens said several of the Nikolic mounts laid by Clements were at a far larger volume than any of the other horses he laid or bet on with Betfair over a 13 month period from January 2009 to February 2010.

One of the horses laid by Clements was subsequent dual Group One winner Hot Danish who finished fifth at Flemington on October 3 last year.

Clements laid the Les Bridge-trained mare to lose $10,876 on Betfair and won $6,373.

Holdenson also listed three Nikolic rides laid by warned off Queensland punters Allesandro Alamo and Kevin McFarland.

Clements, Alamo and McFarland were all warned off in Queensland over the Baby Boom case.

Then prepared by Nikolic's brother John Nikolic, the mare was beaten into fourth place as a long odds-on favourite in a Sunshine Coast maiden on January 3 this year.

Clements laid Baby Boom on Betfair to lose $45,420 at odds of $1.80 and won $56,000.

Alamo won $15,676 laying her on Betfair while McFarland won $1967 the win and $10,480 the place laying her on Betfair.

The RADB ruled the evidence regarding the Baby Boom case was admissible as it was relevant to the Danny Nikolic case.

Nikolic's lawyer Richard Smith, SC, said the jockey's evidence was that he regularly spoke to Clements regarding form and the likely pace of races but did not discuss his mount's chances with him.

The inquiry continues on Tuesday.