Doncaster's Leger Legends race to honour Graham Lee
Betfred Cup at Doncaster St Leger
Graham Lee is “not giving up” after suffering life-changing injuries in a fall last year, with the Grand National-winning rider to be recognised in next week’s Leger Legends race at Doncaster.
Lee, who was also a Group One victor on the Flat, was unseated when leaving the starting stalls at Newcastle in November, suffering a serious spinal injury.
A JustGiving page initially set up by Lee’s daughter, Amy, for the Injured Jockeys Fund has raised over £200,000, while April saw the launch of the Graham Lee Racing Club.
The Graham Lee Vickers.Bet Leger Legends Classified Stakes is one of the highlights on the final day of the St Leger meeting on Sunday week, with ex-jockeys returning to the saddle to raise money for the IJF and the National Racing College.
A charity golf event was also held on Monday ahead of the race, at which Lee’s son Robbie issued an update on his father’s well-being.
“There’s a good turnout, which is good, and it’s good to get out and do things like this to help him,” he told Sky Sports Racing.
“He (Graham Lee) is doing OK. We’ve had a getaway at Oaksey House for the week and he’s enjoyed that.
“He’s doing well and keeping his physio going constant, so he’s not giving up.
“It does help him getting a change of scenery and really gives him a reset and helps clear his mind.”
When it was suggested that his father could write a book about his glittering career, Lee added: “We’re hoping his story is not over, hopefully there’s more to tell.
“He’s still a fighter and is not going to give up yet – he’ll keep going for as long as he can.”
Lee’s friend and former weighing-room colleague Andrew Thornton, who rode more than 1,000 winners himself, is one of the organisers of the Leger Legends event and is pleased the race will carry Lee’s name on September 15.
He said: “He’s ridden 2,000 winners under both codes, it’s remarkable.
“It’s obviously very sad what happened, but we’re all behind him and we’re all doing what we can for him.
“This event is for the National Racing College and also for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Jack Berry House. Graham benefits through that and gave us his blessing to call it that this year.
“Graham was ultra professional. He had a nasty accident at Huntingdon one day and decided that was enough over jumps and he’d give it a crack on the Flat.
“He’s a great character and a great lad. I see plenty of him now and it’s tough for him, but we’ll do what we can.
“Every jockey who rides, we all go by the grace of God. Sadly accidents do happen and you’ve just go to try to make the best of it when they do.
“It’s a journey the whole family are on, not a journey that they expected they’d be on. Your life gets turned upside down and it’s difficult, but we all rally round and do what we can to help and keep everyone in as good spirits as possible.”
Revealing some of the big names who will take part in the Leger Legends race on Town Moor this year, Thornton added: “We’ve got past winners in Sammy-Jo Bell and Brian Harding taking part and Meg Nicholls is donning the silks again.
“We’ve got Gerald Mosse coming over (from France) and Tom Scudamore, Dickie (Richard) Johnson is having another crack and we’ve got an Irish contingent coming over as well including Mark Enright, Bryan Cooper and David Mullins – a Grand National-winning rider.”
