Graham Lee (born 16 December 1975 in

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

)Graham Lee: Grand National 2010
grand-national.me.uk, accessed 3 April 2010. is a successful Irish jockey, operating in Great Britain and Ireland. He was initially a

National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

jockey, but changed codes mid-career and now operates as a

flat Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...

jockey.

National Hunt career

Lee joined the team of trainer Howard Johnson permanently in 2002, after leaving the stables of Malcolm Jefferson and was largely responsible for the schooling and on-track development of horses owned by

Graham Wylie Sir Andrew William Graham Wylie (born 12 August 1959) is a British businessman and co-founder of Sage Group, the United Kingdom's largest software business. Early life Wylie was raised in the North East of England, the son of a Scottish miner ...

including

Inglis Drever Inglis Drever (18 March 1999 – October 2009) was a champion racehorse trained in the North of England by Howard Johnson. He was one of the most successful hurdle racing horses to date and won the World Hurdle three times, bettered only by ...

No Refuge ''No Refuge'' is the second studio album by singer Eddie Schwartz. It was released in late 1981 by A&M Records in Canada, and appeared on Atco in the US in early 1982. Lead single "All Our Tomorrows" reached #32 in Canada, and #28 in the U.S. Bil ...

and Arcalis. Lee held freelance status, and rode for many other trainers during these years, most notably

Ginger McCain Donald "Ginger" McCain (21 September 1930 – 19 September 2011) was an English horse trainer who led the champion steeplechaser Red Rum to three Grand National victories in the 1970s. A former national serviceman in the Royal Air Force as a mo ...

.Racing: Ginger’s revival brings down the house
independent.co.uk, 4 April 2004, accessed 3 April 2010. In an autumn meeting of 2003 at

Wetherby Racecourse Wetherby Racecourse is a racecourse situated near the market town of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England, located from Leeds city centre. For most of its history the course has hosted only National Hunt racing but staged its first Flat racing ...

, Lee achieved one of his most famous feats, by winning a quintuple of races. This achievement secured a win of over £500,000 on a fivefold accumulator bet. After managing to take third place with the horse in the 2003 race, in 2004 Lee won the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...

Amberleigh House Amberleigh House (24 May 1992 – 27 April 2017) was the horse that won the 2004 Grand National. Staff Amberleigh House was trained by Ginger McCain, and was usually ridden by jockey Graham Lee, amongst others. Lee rode Amberleigh House ...

. The horse was trained by Ginger McCain, who famously trained three-time winner

Red Rum Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...

. The success could not be repeated, however, as the horse achieved only tenth place in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, and was finally retired after being pulled up at the 21st fence in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

. Victorious in the Scottish National in 2004, by riding topweight Grey Abbey to win by a distance Lee became one of only three jockeys, along with Brian Fletcher and

Ruby Walsh Rupert Walsh (born 14 May 1979 in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland) is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in Britis ...

, to achieve a "Grand National Double". Lee spent a lot of his time working with former Middlesbrough FC fitness coach Chris Barnes working in the gym improving on fitness and injury recovery times. Lee missed the 2006 Scottish National due to a virus, which would eventually end his relationship with Howard Johnson for whom he had been the main stable jockey. He was replaced by

Paddy Brennan Paddy Brennan (born c. 1930) is an Irish people, Irish comics artist who worked mainly in the UK, drawing adventure strips for D. C. Thomson & Co. titles. He was a freelancer, working six months of the year in Dublin and six months in London.Pet ...

. Lee then became the main stable jockey and deputy trainer for Ferdy Murphy, where he would remain until March 2012. He was second in the 2007 Scottish National on Nine De Sivola and missing out by just half a length, as in the Irish Grand National of the same year. Lee rode favourite Joe's Edge in the 2007 National, but pulled up at the 20th fence after failing to trouble the leaders. He was scheduled to ride Idle Talk for

Donald McCain Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

, the son of

, in the

2008 Grand National The 2008 Grand National (officially known as the John Smith's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 161st official annual running of the Grand National steeplechase which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 5 A ...

, however he was ruled out after sustaining multiple fractures to the jaw several weeks earlier. Although his profile dipped sharply after joining Murphy, he came back into the sport's consciousness through his involvement with several improving chasers and hurdlers, and moved into second place in the 2007–08 jockeys championship.Injured Graham Lee concedes defeat over Cheltenham
timesonline.co.uk, 6 March 2008, accessed 3 April 2010. In so doing he also became only the fourth National Hunt jockey to be placed in the first two positions in the National Hunt Jockeys' Championship in ten years (following Robert Thornton, Richard Johnson and Timmy Murphy), at the time displacing Richard Johnson. In 2009, Lee began riding for newly licensed trainer Rose Dobbin, wife of jockey

Tony Dobbin Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, in addition to his work for Murphy. Lee was a surprise choice to ride for David Pipe in the 2010 Grand National, eventually being selected to ride The Package after Timmy Murphy chose to ride his National-winning horse,

Comply or Die Compliance can mean: Healthcare * Compliance (medicine), a patient's (or doctor's) adherence to a recommended course of treatment * Compliance (physiology), the tendency of a hollow organ to resist recoil toward its original dimensions (this is a ...

. He rode his 1000th career winner on 7 January 2012.

Previous stables

Noel Meade Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Meath as a place to train his horses. Early career: flat racing Meade began his career as a horse trainer in 1971,

– After a successful stint on the Irish pony circuit, Lee left school at the age of 15 to join the stable. Dessie McDonogh – Based in County Meath, this was Lee's last position in Ireland before moving to England.

Mary Reveley __NOTOC__ Mary Christiana Reveley (née Allison, 22 September 1940 – 30 October 2017) was an English racehorse trainer. She trained over 2,000 winners in a 26-year career, was the first woman to saddle 100 winners in a calendar year (in 1 ...

– During this stint, Lee was a minor jockey, not riding many high-profile horses. He also suffered a serious knee injury, from which it took more than seven months to recover. Bill Haigh – Here, recovering from his severe injury problems, Lee rose to the top ten in the jockey championship.

Malcolm Jefferson Joseph Malcolm Jefferson (1 December 1946 – 2 February 2018) was a British horse trainer who specialized in training horses competing in National Hunt racing. Jefferson was born in Penrith and worked as travelling head lad to Gordon W. Richar ...

– A successful stint for Lee which secured him the lucrative position with Howard Johnson, and fifth place in the jockey championship. In 2010, Lee began riding for Jefferson again. J Howard Johnson – With this stable, Lee secured the top jockey award at Cheltenham and a Scottish Grand National win. He finished third in the jockey championship, behind

Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...

and

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

. He also won the Grand National during this period, but this was for Ginger McCain. Ferdy Murphy – Following his acrimonious departure from the stables of Howard Johnson, Lee became stable jockey and later a deputy trainer for Ferdy Murphy. He rode here for six years before making the decision to move into flat racing.

Personal life

Lee comes from a very sporting family. His grandfather, Matthew Lee, played for

Kilmarnock FC Kilmarnock Football Club, commonly known as Killie, is a Scottish professional Association football, football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The team is currently managed by Derek McInnes, who was appointed in January 2022 ...

as well as being capped for his national team. His brother, Malcolm Lee was a flat jockey, as is his cousin Dean Mernagh. He is a close friend of champion jockey,

, with whom he had lodged in the past. He is married with a daughter called Allan and a son, and lives in Bedale, North Yorkshire..

Grand National record

2003:

(3rd) –

2004: Amberleigh House (1st) – Ginger McCain

: Amberleigh House (10th) – Ginger McCain

: Amberleigh House (P21) – Ginger McCain

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

: Joe's Edge (P20) –

Ferdy Murphy Ferdy or Ferdie is a given name, often a diminutive of the masculine given name Ferdinand. It may refer to: People * Ferdie Aston (1871–1926), English-born South African rugby union player * Ferdie Bergh (1906–1973), South African rugby union ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

: Did not enter (injured)

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

: Kilbeggan Blade (P21) – Tom George

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

: The Package (U19) – David Pipe
2011: Big Fella Thanks (7th) – Ferdy Murphy

Flat career

Following a series of serious injuries he announced that he would switch from National Hunt to flat racing in April 2012. He previously endured a stint as a flat jockey in 1995 and has always held a dual licence. He came third in the jockeys' championship of 2014.

Cheltenham Festival winners (5)

Stayers' Hurdle The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain. It is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ...

- (1) ''

(2005)'' *

Supreme Novices' Hurdle The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of a ...

- (1)'' Arcalis (2005)'' *

Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle The Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle (known as the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle for sponsorship reasons) is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years o ...

- (1) ''No Refuge (2005)'' *

Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase The Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy's Reward Club Novices' Handicap Chase, is a Listed National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years ...

- (2) ''L'Antartique (2007), Divers (2011)''

Major wins

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

- (1) - ''Trip To Paris (2015)'' *

Nunthorpe Stakes The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is schedu ...

- (1) - ''Alpha Delphini (2018)'' *

Betway Bowl The Betway Bowl is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 mile ...

- (1) ''Grey Abbey (2005)'' *

Mildmay Novices' Chase The Mildmay Novices' Chase is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Mildmay course at Aintree over a distance of about 3 m ...

- (1) ''

Aces Four Aces Four, foaled on 30 March 1999 in Ireland, is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Aces Four was sired by Fourstars Allstar out of the mare Special Trix. He was owned by the DPRP Aces Partnership, trained by Ferdy Murphy, and his ...

(2007)'' *

Maghull Novices' Chase The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 ...

- (1) '' Kalahari King (2009)'' Ireland *

Ryanair Novice Chase The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt Steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and dur ...

- (1) '' Another Promise (2007)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Graham 1975 births Living people Irish jockeys People from Galway (city) Sportspeople from County Galway