Jockey left in coma after serious motorbike crash completes miraculous return to racing with emotional Royal Ascot victory – plus your best bets for the final day ‣ Diverse Daily

By SAM TURNER

Published: 19:18 BST, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 21:54 BST, 19 June 2026

Eight months ago, doctors questioned if Clifford Lee would ever walk and talk again after an horrendous cross-country motorbike crash left him in a coma with a broken vertebra and internal bleeding.

Fast forward to Royal Ascot and the affable 30-year-old completed his miraculous return to race riding with an emotional victory aboard hot favourite Venetian Sun who withstood the late charge of big outsider Spicy Marg to give Brighton Football Club owner Tony Bloom another Group 1 success at the Royal meeting.

Lee, who was partnering the filly for trainer Karl Burke, said: ‘It is fantastic. I had five and a half months off as I broke my C1 (vertebra), but I feel I have come back stronger and better.

‘It helps riding good horses. It was very hard as it took me a long time to actually get back fit. It is great to be back. On big days like this, I am glad for the team back at home that do all the hard work.’

Bloom, who was ranked as the 199th richest person in Britain by this year’s Sunday Times Rich List with a personal fortune of £779 million and with assets which also include Scottish side Hearts, was thrilled by the last-gasp success of his superstar filly, but was unwilling to draw comparisons with a late Brighton winner.

Clifford Lee won aboard hot favourite Venetian Sun on an emotional day at Ascot

SAM’S TIPS FOR SATURDAY

Ascot 15.05 – Satono Reve (e/w)

This year’s renewal resembles the equine version of the World Cup with Australia, Japan, Ireland, Britain and France all represented alongside Denmark.

Japan went agonisingly close to landing the Group 1 with Satono Reve last year and the seven-year-old may make amends for his narrow defeat to Lazzat with victory in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Ascot, 17.00 – Ten Pounds (e/w)

There are at least two potential Group horses lurking in this renewal with Double Rush and Binhareer present and a cogent case can be constructed for both given they are quality animals whose improvement hasn’t plateaued yet.

Ten Pounds isn’t as exposed as the chief protagonists, but he is coming to the boil nicely judged on his recent Carlisle spin over five furlongs and he could well improve on last year’s third in this race.

The caveat to his chance is his rider who can be mercurial, but straight track Ascot races are Jamie Spencer’s forte and I’m hoping he can deliver the selection at the ideal moment here.

Ascot, 18.10 – French Master

This marathon trip is clearly a slight concern for French Master who tries a trip in excess of fourteen furlongs for the first time, however he hit the line strongly in the Copper Horse Handicap 12 months ago (1m6f) and could end the week in sparkling style for Wathnan Racing.

A recent tee up at Newbury over an inadequate mile and a half when ridden prominently at Newbury behind Kalpana should have put the selection spot on and he is likely to be switched off and ridden chilly to get the trip here.

His chance arguably rests on him settling and not over racing, but if he James Doyle, who has ridden beautifuly all week, can get French Master switched off early then he could run a huge race.

‘I don’t like to compare (a 95th minute winner with a Royal Ascot win) as they’re all amazing and I’m very fortunate to be in the position that my football team can get last minute winners, and I can enjoy Royal Ascot winners, especially Group Ones!’ he grinned.

‘You can spend a lot of money on horses, and they can flop and you can get cheaper ones, and they can become Group 1 champions, like this filly and she’s the best I’ve ever had.

‘She is very, very special and I’ve had some very good horses.’

There was no such luck later in the day for HM The King and HM The Queen and their Royal runner Warrant Holder who hit the front under William Buick in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes only to be worn down late on by Kiwi rider James McDonald who grasped his Opportunity with both hands, quite literally.

On-course layers Star Sports were also left reeling having laid £275,000 to win on Precise to win the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at 8/11, only for Ryan Moore to boot home the Irish 1000 Guineas winner to record a fifth winner of the week for himself and trainer Aidan O’Brien.

That soon became the joy of six courtesy of Causeway who gamely lifted the King Edward VII Stakes at the expense of Ancient Egypt for the formidable duo, much to the delight of the big-staking punter who also collected a further £300,000 courtesy of his wager at evens.

There was late drama in the closing Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes as a wholesale gamble was landed when the Wesley Ward-trained favourite Bacio routed his field only to face a stewards’ enquiry following an objection from the clerk of the scales.

Available at 14/1 overnight, the Wesley Ward-trained speedster jumped from the gates under Juan Hernandez and barely saw another rival as he scorched home by three and a half lengths to score at 3/1.

However, following the subsequent enquiry into the weight carried by Bacio, the stewards were then satisfied that Bacio had carried the correct weight and the placings were confirmed after all.

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