Lee to miss Grand National

3/29/2008 - 9:39:24 AM

Graham Lee is to miss the John Smith's Grand National meeting and delay his comeback from injury by about a fortnight.

Ferdy Murphy's retained jockey - who won the National in 2004 on the Ginger McCain-trained Amberleigh House - made the tough decision to skip Aintree as he believes he is not yet fully fit.

Lee fractured his jaw in several places at Huntingdon last month, forcing him out of the Cheltenham Festival.

"I'm going to give Aintree a miss," said Lee, who would have partnered Joes Edge for Murphy in the big race this year.

"If I rushed I could get to Aintree, but I wouldn't be 100% and I think in this day and age we jockeys are professional athletes and I'm not going to ride until I'm 110% per fit.

"If I went to Aintree it would not be fair on owners, trainers or horses. I'm 10 days to two weeks short.

"It's very difficult. I could go to Aintree but I'm not 100%, I'd be about 85%.

"I'm going to sit tight. It's going to kill me that I'm missing it. But when I'm 100% I'll be back and hopefully that will be in 10 days to two weeks."

Murphy admitted it was a blow, but said he admired Lee for his decision and hoped the jockey would be back for next month's Scottish National meeting at Ayr and the Punchestown Festival.

"He's a massive cog in our wheel, so it throws our plans up in the air at Aintree. I'll have to speak to the owners and see how we are going to get around it," said the Middleham trainer.

"He's a real professional and he takes it very seriously. He wants to make sure he's 100%. You can understand that.

"Coming back at Aintree wouldn't have been the easiest meeting. The races are run at a lot faster pace and he's better off easing his way back into it.

"We schooled 70 horses this morning, so we've still got a lot of horses to run."

Murphy revealed that Lee has spent a lot of time riding work this week.

"He's been in nearly every day. He's fairly fit but he doesn't feel he's as sharp as he should be," he went on.

"He's very good at what he does, he wants to be the tops.

"He wants to give the owners 100% and he cannot do that at the moment, so he's not going to come back yet. He wants to get it right and there's Ayr and Punchestown to come."