Graham Lee moved to hospital closer to home but will remain in spinal unit 'for the foreseeable future'

Jockey Graham Lee has been moved closer to home having been transferred to hospital in Middlesbrough where he is expected to remain for the “foreseeable future” after sustaining serious injuries to his spine in a fall at Newcastle this month.

Lee, a Grand National and Group 1-winning rider, has been hospitalised since falling from Ben Macdui when the horses left the stalls for a 5f handicap at Newcastle on November 10.

The rider had surgery on fractures to vertebrae in his neck and to “further protect his spinal cord” on November 14. He had made positive progress from the operation last week enabling him to talk to his family and raising hopes that he would soon be able to move closer to home.

In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) said Lee had been able to transfer hospitals and that his movement had been affected as a result of the injury.

The statement said: “Graham Lee has now moved to the spinal unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he will remain for the foreseeable future. He is no longer in ITU but remains on a ventilator, albeit this can be reduced from time to time.

“His cervical injury, which was to C3/C4 [vertebrae], means that his movement is affected. His family are pleased that he is now nearer home and remain grateful for the constant support.”

A fundraising page on JustGiving set up by Lee’s daughter, Amy, has raised over £154,000 to help with the rider’s recovery. Next month, a breeding nomination to new stallion Paddington will be auctioned at Tattersalls with the proceeds added to the fund by Coolmore.

The IJF is labelled as “an incredible charity which will be there every step of the way for dad’s recovery” by Amy Lee on the fundraising page and the organisation’s president and vice-president, Sir Anthony McCoy and Jack Berry, released a statement last week which said the charity would “look after his needs to assist him in his recovery and predicament for as long as it takes.”

Lee partnered more than 1,000 jumps winners, headed by 2004 Grand National winner Amberleigh House, before moving to ride on the Flat in 2012.

Since the switch to the Flat, Lee has claimed two of the sport's biggest prizes, partnering Trip To Paris to success in the 2015 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and Alpha Delphini to land the 2018 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

To donate to the JustGiving page for Graham Lee and the IJF, click here