Clifford Lee

The last twelve months tell the story of a jockey moving in one direction. Lee has ridden 71 winners from 441 races this season — roughly 1 in every 6 — and that figure improves on last year's 1 in every 8. The numbers are getting better as the competition gets harder, which is exactly the pattern you want to see. Three of those wins came at the top level in the space of just two days at Newmarket in October 2025, followed days later by another at Pontefract. Three Class 1 winners in under a fortnight is the kind of run that makes racing people sit up and take notice.

The partnership with trainer K R Burke is central to Lee's success and worth understanding properly. Of the 222 times Lee has ridden for Burke, 49 have resulted in wins — that is just over 1 in every 4 and a win rate of 22%, comfortably ahead of Lee's already-strong overall average. When a jockey and trainer click like this, it is usually because they share a feel for how a horse needs to be ridden. Burke's yard clearly trusts Lee with their best horses, and Lee keeps delivering for them.

Two conditions bring out something extra in him. When the ground turns wet and muddy, Lee wins at a remarkable rate — 13 wins from just 37 races, meaning he wins more than 1 in every 3. That is almost double his usual rate, suggesting an instinctive feel for riding in conditions that catch plenty of rivals out. Pontefract tells a similar story: 6 winners from 17 races there, a course record that speaks to genuine affinity rather than coincidence. Tracks with specific quirks — tight turns, particular gradients — often reward jockeys who have taken the time to understand them.

Still only four years into his career and already riding at the highest level with regularity, Lee looks like someone whose best seasons are still ahead of him.