Grand National hero Graham Lee paralysed from neck down after fall – as fundraising drive for iconic rider hits £200,000

GRAND NATIONAL hero Graham Lee has been left paralysed from the neck down after an awful fall at Newcastle.

The 2004 Aintree winner and legendary figure in the weighing room suffered a life-threatening injury when being unseated at the start of a race last November.

News Group Newspapers LtdGrand National hero Graham Lee has been left paralysed from the neck down after a horror fall at Newcastle last November[/caption]

The jumps and Flat jockey remains in hospital six months on but it is hoped he can return home soon

Lee’s daughter on Amy was on Sky Sports Racing spreading awareness of the new racing club set up to raise more funds for her dad’s care

Lee, 48, was seen for the first time since the incident smiling alongside trainer Henrietta Knight last month.

He remains in a spinal care unit at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough where he continues to undergo treatment for his severely damaged spinal cord.

While his condition remains the same, there was some good news as the fundraising drive to pay for his care reached a new milestone.

A Just Giving page set up by daughter Amy has raised more than £200,000.

And now a new racing club has also been established, similar to the initiative involving rugby league legend and MND sufferer Rob Burrow.

Amy spoke on Sky Sports about how excited she is for the Graham Lee Racing Club, saying it has given the whole family ‘something to look forward to’.

Famed jockey Paul Hanagan has picked out a two-year-old filly named We’ve Got This by Lee’s wife Becky to run in the club’s colours.

The hugely promising horse will be trained by Craig Lidster at his Yorkshire base.

For £17, members will be able to follow her progress as she hopefully makes a major impact on the racecourse.

Lee, who won the world’s most famous race on Amberleigh House, said: “I’m really humbled that a fundraising racing club has been set up in my honour, and that Paul Hanagan has chosen the horse for me.

“I’ve been shown videos of the horse and she looks very promising.

“No pressure Paul, but I hope you’ve picked a winner!

“I’ve seen what The Good Racing Company has achieved for Rob Burrow and how it’s united the racing community.

“I have high hopes that this new racing club achieves the same success with We’ve Got This, and my family and I look forward to following the excitement and being part of this new community.”

While Amy said: “Dad’s condition is still the same but we are hoping that he is going to get discharged soon.

“We picked the name of the filly ourselves as when Dad first had his accident, Mum put a post on Facebook and she finished the caption with ‘We’ve got this’ and we have always said it to Dad throughout his journey.

“The name and the horse will mean so much to us. It puts a positive light on racing for Dad especially.

“The £17 annual fee will go towards Dad. We’re not sure what for yet but with the long road ahead that he’s got, it will be very useful for us.”

Lee was born in Galway, Ireland, and is the only jockey to ride the winner of the National and Ascot Gold Cup.

He also won the Scottish National the same year he claimed the Aintree feature on a horse trained by Ginger McCain, the iconic handler famed for training Red Rum.

On a dark day for racing, news of Lee’s paralysis came as it was confirmed 23-year-old Stefano Cherchi had died.

The Sardinian-born rider, who had over 100 winners in Britain, suffered a fatal fall from a horse mid-race in Australia.