GRAND National winning jockey Graham Lee remains in intensive care with "very serious injuries" tonight following his fall at Newcastle Races on Friday evening.

The North Yorkshire-based jockey, who won the 2004 Grand National on Amberleigh House before successfully switching to the Flat in 2012, was unseated from his mount Ben Macdui as the stalls opened.

A new statement from the Injured Jockeys Fund tonight states: "Jockey Graham Lee's MRI scan has shown that he has suffered an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to the spinal cord, as well as damage to blood vessels in the mid-cervical region.

"He remains in ITU with respiratory support at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital, in Newcastle, but it has been possible to reduce his sedation.

"This is a very serious injury and at this early time, it is not possible to predict the extent of long-term recovery.

"Graham's family are very grateful for the many messages of support they have had."

Those messages have flooded in from across the racing community since the popular Galway-born rider suffered the fall.

ITV Racing presenter Matt Chapman said: "All we can all do is keep hoping."