JOCKEY Clifford Lee is out of an induced coma but facing a ‘long road to recovery’ after his ‘shocking’ head-first motorbike crash.
The Group 1-winning rider, who has prize money earnings of more than £2.3million this season, needs further surgery after being rushed to hospital late last week.
Lee was holidaying in Scotland amid a ban when he fell off his motorbike, which was travelling at less than 10mph.
The front wheel got lodged into a dry riverbed and Lee was sent ‘flying over the handlebars’, landing on his head.
Lee, who had earlier been enjoying some downtime in Greece, is stable jockey to trainer Karl Burke.
He delivered an update on his star man’s condition on Wednesday.
Burke told Racing TV: “Clifford is out of his induced coma so that’s a step forward.
What happened in the crash?
By Sam Morgan
Trainer Karl Burke gave the most in-depth breakdown yet of what exactly happened in Clifford Lee’s motorbike crash.
He explained: “Apparently he had a GoPro on, his girlfriend has seen the recording and he was going less than 10mph, 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 have been going fast he’d probably have been fired out, rather than falling off head first.
“He got up after he came off the bike apparently and was walking but was obviously in pain.
“They took to him hospital and they’ve got him sedated now.
“It’s a nasty one and he’s not out of the woods by a long way yet.”
“But he needs an operation to pin the fractures – that’s all I know.
“He seemed in good spirits, he’s a strong lad. Hopefully he can get through the operation then it’s a road to recovery.
“I came down on Sunday morning and had a text from his partner – I thought he was in Greece because he was banned.
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“I didn’t have a clue he even rode motorbikes to be honest.
“I think it’s early days, he needs to get over the op but it will be a long road to recovery I’m sure.
“It’s a horrible thing to have happened but equally it could have been a lot worse.”
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