Top jockey Clifford Lee has emerged from an induced coma following a motorbike accident that occurred during his holiday. The 29-year-old suffered a neck fracture after falling headfirst and was swiftly taken to the hospital last week. His boss, Karl Burke, mentioned that Lee, who had a standout year with 94 victories, will face an extended absence from horse racing due to the injury.
“He is now out of the induced coma, which is a positive development,” Burke stated. “An operation to stabilize the fractures is necessary. With his resilience, we are hopeful that he will successfully undergo the procedure and embark on the path to recovery.”
Lee’s notable accomplishments include securing the Prix Morny at Deauville on Venetian Sun and achieving significant wins on horses like Royal Champion, Al Qareem, and Convergent during the summer season. Despite serving a suspension at the time, Lee was on a holiday break in Greece before heading to Scotland with his family, where the accident occurred.
Burke expressed surprise upon learning about Lee’s motorbike hobby and acknowledged the seriousness of the accident while highlighting the potentially worse outcomes that could have transpired. Lee’s horses accumulated a substantial sum of £2.3 million in winnings in Britain in 2025, with Al Qareem contributing significantly to that total.
Coming from a non-racing background in south-east London, Lee’s talent and strategic prowess were evident in his back-to-back victories in the Cambridgeshire. Fans have flooded Lee with messages of support as he remains hospitalized in Edinburgh, expressing their wishes for his swift recovery and anticipating his return to the racing scene.