Lee ruled out of Cheltenham as Ferdy Murphy makes alternative riding plans

Graham Lee will not be riding at the Cheltenham Festival as he continues to recover from a fractured jaw.

Ferdy Murphy´s stable jockey fracturing his jaw in two places when kicked in a fall at Huntingdon last month but following surgery it had initially been hoped he would be back in the saddle for the four-day Festival.

However, his agent Richard Hale confirmed, ´Graham won´t be back for Cheltenham. He´s consulted with the BHA´s medical adviser Dr Michael Turner, and is hoping to be back for Easter Saturday.

´That´s the earliest he´s likely to be back but no firm dates have been set as yet.´

Ferdy Murphy described the news as a ´big blow´ to his Cheltenham plans as ´Graham is a big cog in the wheel of our operation´.

´In particular, Graham rode two incredible races on L´Antartique at Cheltenham to win the Jewson and the Paddy Power. Paul Carberry will ride him now in the Ryanair Chase.

´Tony Dobbin will ride Kalahari King in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, while Davy Russell will ride New Alco in the William Hill and Naiad du Misselot in the Coral Cup.

´Keith Mercer will be on Ivoire de Beaulieu in the Cross Country, and Richard Harding rides Noir Et Vert in the Kim Muir. We´ll probably have six or seven runners at the Festival, with Joes Edge also a possible.´