Trainer Karl Burke expects to have a clearer idea of the severity of Clifford Lee's injuries later this week after the jockey was hospitalised following a motorbike accident in Scotland.
Lee has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the Flat, highlighted by a first Group 1 success aboard Venetian Sun in the Prix Morny, as well as several other big-race wins aboard the likes of Royal Champion, Al Qareem and Convergent.
The rider is currently serving a suspension and was in Scotland with family when he took a fall from a cross-country motorbike. Having suffered a neck injury in the accident, he is now said to be in intensive care.
“It's a bit of a sickener to finish what has been a very good year like this, especially for Cliff, obviously,” said Burke.
“All I know is that he can move his arms and legs, but the last I heard he was in an induced coma. I think they're planning to bring him out of that gently over the next 48 hours. He got up after he came off the bike apparently and was walking but was obviously in pain. They took him to hospital and they've got him sedated now.
“Apparently he had a GoPro on. His girlfriend has seen the recording and he was going less than 10 miles per hour, but the front wheel went into a dry riverbed or a dry stream and the whole thing twisted the wrong way and sent him flying over the handlebars. If he'd been going fast, he probably would have been fired out, rather than falling off head first.
“It's a nasty one and he's not out of the woods by a long way yet.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
