Graham Lee aiming to become Flat jockey
The Grand National winning rider, Graham Lee, has decided to become a Flat jockey after recovering from his injury. He has been out of action since his heavy fall from Rich Lord at Southwell last month.
It was such a terrible tumble that Lee got his hip dislocated. As a result, the 36-year-old was ruled out for next six months.
The unlucky incident took place during the Win Whatever The Result With BetAngel Handicap Chase, in which the Ferdy Murphy-trained unseated him just before the finish.
The injury was initially thought not to be serious, but a detailed report suggested an interior dislocation of his hip. Consequently, he was declared unavailable for the Cheltenham Festival. Lee might also miss his upcoming scheduled meetings at Aintree
and Punchestown.
He is showing immense improvement these days, aiming to return to the course next month. Lee revealed that since he is facing massive problems with his weight, he will come back as a Flat jockey. He told RUK:
“I’m flying now, things are going great. I’m going to concentrate on riding on the Flat when I come back. I’ve always had to work very hard to keep weight on and since my fall at Southwell even more so. When I got back from the hospital I was 9st12lb, now
I’m 8st12lb. I can’t really face the gym to put a stone back on so I’m going for the Flat.”
“I’m aiming to be back the last week of April. I’m going to be getting around and showing my face. A couple of trainers have called and said they’d support me,” he added.
Although Lee is not sure about how much time he will take to get back to his best, he is completely focused on his job. The experienced rider also dismissed the notion that he is switching to Flat to wind down his career.
So far in his Chase career, Lee has pocked a winning prize worth £1,089,668.37. His winning prize in hurdle races is £776,641.86.
He has taken part in more than 1000 Chase races, winning 142 of them. His record over hurdles is even more impressive, as he has 166 triumphs to his credit.
Tags: