ITV PUNDIT ORGANISES CHARITY RACE FOR INJURED JOCKEY GRAHAM LEE

The jockey has severely damaged his spine

ITV racing pundit Adele Mulrennan is spearheading a special race to raise funds for Grand National-winning jockey Graham Lee.

Graham Lee, aged 48, is the only jockey to have won both the Grand National and the Ascot Gold Cup. His illustrious career, marked by excellence in both jumps and flat racing, came to a tragic halt after a fall at Newcastle last November. The accident resulted in an unstable cervical fracture, severely damaging his spinal cord and leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

In the aftermath of his injury, over £200,000 was raised within weeks to support his recovery, with multiple events organized to cover his care expenses. Recently, Lee was able to leave the hospital to attend the launch event for the Graham Lee Racing Club.

On Friday, Thirsk will host the Graham Lee IJF Fund Stable Staff Stakes, sponsored by Sky Bet. This race will feature ten volunteers from racing yards competing in a mile-long 'hands and heels' race. Professional jockeys will lead up the participants, each of whom has committed to raising at least £500 in sponsorship.

Lee, who won the 2004 Grand National on Amberleigh House and the 2015 Ascot Gold Cup on Trip To Paris, has inspired this event. Mulrennan, a former jockey herself and wife of leading rider Paul Mulrennan, explained:

“We did this a few years ago before lockdown to raise funds for Racing Welfare, and it was a great success. It allowed jockeys to show their appreciation for stable staff by swapping roles – stable staff rode in the race while jockeys led them up. It was a huge hit, but lockdown prevented us from doing it again.

"After speaking with several jockeys this year who expressed a desire to support Graham Lee's fundraising efforts, we decided to revive the event, this time raising funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Graham.”