Sir Anthony McCoy: 'Whatever help Graham Lee and his family need, we'll be there to provide it'

Sir Anthony McCoy and Jack Berry, the president and vice-president of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), have promised the organisation will provide care and support to rider Graham Lee and his family "to assist him in his recovery and predicament for as long as it takes".

McCoy, the 20-time champion jump jockey, and former trainer Berry released a joint-statement on Monday afternoon saying they were "devastated" by the injuries sustained by Lee in a fall at Newcastle on Friday evening and that whatever his family needed "we will be there to provide it".

The statement, posted on X, said: "Like everyone in racing, we at the Injured Jockeys Fund are all devastated with the news of the injuries that Graham Lee sustained from his horrific fall at Newcastle on Friday. All our thoughts are with Graham, his wife Becky, and their family.

"As bad as Graham's injuries are, please do rest assured that our team at the IJF will look after his needs to assist him in his recovery and predicament for as long as it takes. Whatever help he and his family need, we will be there to provide it."

Sir Anthony McCoy: the 20-time champion jump jockey released a joint-statement with Jack Berry in relation to the injuries suffered by Graham LeeCredit: Edward Whitaker

On Monday morning, BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said the "whole sport is praying for one of its finest ambassadors" after Lee remained in intensive care with an unstable fracture to his neck that was causing damage to his spinal cord and blood vessels in the same area.

Lee, 47, a leading rider over jumps and more recently on the Flat, was unseated from his mount Ben Macdui as the stalls opened for a sprint handicap on Friday.

He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he was being held in the intensive therapy unit. A statement from the IJF on Sunday night said that his sedation had been able to be reduced.

The statement said: "Jockey Graham Lee's MRI scan has shown that he has suffered an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to the spinal cord, as well as damage to blood vessels in the mid-cervical region. He remains in ITU with respiratory support at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle, but it has been possible to reduce his sedation.

"This is a very serious injury and at this early time, it is not possible to predict the extent of long-term recovery. Graham's family are very grateful for the many messages of support that they have had."

Graham Lee: partnered Alpha Delphini to Group 1 glory in the 2018 Nunthorpe StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Support for Lee has been offered from across racing since Friday, with Harrington saying the BHA was offering all the help it could to the rider's family.

She said: "We are shocked to hear the distressing news regarding the injuries suffered by Graham Lee. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and the whole sport is praying for one of its finest ambassadors. We are doing everything we can to support Graham and his family, and we ask that everyone respect the privacy of his family at this time."

A JustGiving page was set up on Monday by Lee's daughter Amy and has since raised more than £100,000 to help the rider and the IJF. His weighing room colleagues, including Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan, trainers, owners and the racing public have shown their support with donations.

Lee rode more than 1,000 winners over jumps, including Amberleigh House in the 2004 Grand National for Ginger McCain, before switching to riding on the Flat in 2012.

Among the other notable jumpers the Galway-born, North Yorkshire-based rider is associated with are Stayers' Hurdle winner Inglis Drever and Grade 1 scorers Another Promise and Kalahari King.

Since turning his attention to the Flat, Lee has won two of the sport's most coveted prizes, partnering Trip To Paris to success in the 2015 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and riding Alpha Delphini to victory by a nose in a thrilling finish to the 2018 Nunthorpe.

His 598 rides this season have yielded 47 winners, 15 of which have come for Ben Macdui's trainer Paul Midgley.

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