Racing: Lee delights in 55,964-1 spree

The demons purportedly abroad the night before surely returned to take hold of Graham Lee at Wetherby yesterday. Riding like a man possessed, the Irishman notched a remarkable 55,964-1 four-timer at the West Yorkshire track. But though the centrepiece of his achievement was victory on the Howard Johnson-trained Ballybough Rasher, at 40-1 the outsider of six in the afternoon's feature, the Charlie Hall Chase, Lee's favourite of the quartet must be Gralmano.

For equally remarkably, as 27-year-old Lee is but a journeyman in the weighing room, this was the second fab four of his career. The first, almost exactly two years ago at Kelso, was launched by Gralmano, and yesterday the big brown gelding provided the final leg in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.

"It's unbelievable," said Lee, who rode his first winner at Navan 11 years ago. "Happy days are here again."

As a Gold Cup sighter, the Charlie Hall lost much of its significance when the hot favourite Valley Henry, travelling powerfully just behind the leaders, clipped the top of the 11th fence and crashed heavily to the floor. Happily, both he and rider Barry Geraghty rose unscathed.

But credit to Ballybough Rasher, who had always been in the van and rallied gamely after last year's winner, Marlborough, went past him three out with ears pricked. The eight-year-old joined issue again at the last and stayed on strongly to win by six lengths.

"To say this is a surprise is a bit of an understatement," Lee said, "but a pleasant one. He travelled great but his jumping can be a bit suspect, and he got himself in and out of jail at the fourth-last, one of the trappiest ditches in the country. But he was never going to be beaten. Although the other horse came past me, I always thought I'd get back at him."

Marlborough and Valley Henry are both still on course for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, the latter via a possible clash with Best Mate in the Peterborough Chase two weeks on Saturday. "It wouldn't be ideal to go to Kempton on the back of a fall," said his trainer, Paul Nicholls, "so we'll consider the Huntingdon race."

Lee's four victories were all for different trainers: Dream On Willie (12-1) for Eric Elliott; Javelin (14-1) for Ian Williams; and Gralmano, whose target is the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, for Kevin Ryan.

The next time horses gather in anger at Newmarket, the Prestbury Park extravaganza will be in the formbook and the Guineas meeting only 16 days away, and yesterday's sport marked the crossroads of the seasons. The last rites at Headquarters included the Zetland Stakes, a 10-furlong test for classy stayers of the future that has in recent memory produced such as Silver Patriarch and Double Trigger.

This renewal went to Fun And Games, who swooped fast and late under Ted Durcan to pick off the favourite, Cohn Blue. Sheikh Mohammed's daughter of Rahy, from the top-class family that has already given her owner two Classic victors in Oh So Sharp and Shantou, put Mick Channon on 138 winners for the season, one ahead of Mark Johnston in the race to be the year's winning-most trainer.

For Pat Eddery, there was the requisite fairytale ending on his last day's riding at the course. The 11-times champ-ion took full advantage of the soft lead he was allowed in the Listed juvenile fillies' contest and, as his rivals sat and waited, drove Spotlight, trained by his old mucker John Dunlop, four lengths clear. He returned to a rousing ovation and the comment from Dunlop: "I don't know why you're retiring, Patrick". The trainer added: "He gave her the most perfect ride."

With respect to Fun And Games, Spotlight and the four maiden winners at Newmarket, the best youngster in action was undoubtedly Bago, who took his unbeaten run to four in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. In bottomless ground the Nashwan colt, trained by Jonathan Pease, dismissed his six rivals, headed by Channon's Top Seed, with ease, leading two out and winning by six lengths the Group One mile race taken last year by Dalakhani.