WHILE most people from the west coast of Ireland would picture their retirement in a dream home overlooking Galway Bay, for Graham Lee that particular post-work vista has been transformed into the Cleveland Hills.

The jockey, who will today attempt to steer Amberleigh House round the Aintree track faster that any of his rivals in the world's greatest horse race, has found the lure of Teesside greater than he could ever have imagined.

So much so that although at 29 retirement is the last thing on his mind, he's already earmarked the Dunroamin plaque for Ingleby Barwick.

"I definitely see myself as a Teessider now," said the Irishman. "When I came over here I always said that when I finish riding I'd move back to Ireland.

"I don't think I will now. I'm very settled and very happy here.

With Teesside comes Middlesbrough Football Club and Lee added: "I'm an adopted Middlesbrough fan and I get down to the Riverside whenever I can.

"I really see this place as my home now."

If Lee somehow manages to match the feat of Brian Fletcher and retains the Grand National prize, then he'll be writing himself into racing folklore and adding a new chapter to the story that is Ginger McCain.

McCain, of course, trained Red Rum to three wins in the 1970s, including successive triumphs, and will be forever be seen as the National trainer.

Lee, however, will not be remembered as a one-track master, and is rapidly becoming one of the finest jockeys of his generation.

Just over a year ago he was another journeyman rider, but his triumph at Aintree transformed all that.

At Cheltenham last month he took the jockey's title with three wins, and ensured Crook-based trainer Howard Johnson was also master of his class at the Gloucestershire track.

The reason for the apparent transformation is based on nothing apart from good fortune according to Lee.

"To be honest nothing has changed in the last 12 months for me on a personal level," said Lee.

"I'm not in any better shape I'm just riding better horses.

"When it comes down to it that's the crucial side. It's nothing technical but happy days."

Lee headed across from the Emerald Isle a decade ago to take up his apprenticeship at Mary Reveley's Lingdale stables.

He met his wife Becky there, which explains his new found love of all things Teesside, and set about turning himself into a master of his art.

Whatever happens on Merseyside today he will always be remembered as a National winner, and he hasn't discounted making that a double this afternoon.

"I saw him (Amberleigh) at Haydock about two weeks ago and he was in good form then," said Lee, who was diplomatic in his assessment of all his rivals, and believed at 13 Amberleigh House was as good as ever.

"As most people know the race is like a lottery. We just hope it doesn't get too soft for my horse - he's a pony.

"His age doesn't come into it - he doesn't know how old he is and it wouldn't stop him anyway.

"But you're never confident in this game - never. "

It could have all been very different, and if everything had gone to plan then Lee would probably have been riding Grey Abbey at 4.10 this afternoon.

The Johnson stable made the decision not to run the popular grey after a schooling in County Durham over National-type fences.

He was, however, considered good enough for a lesser event at Aintree, and proved himself again with success in Thursday's Betfair Bowl.

"The simple thing about Grey Abbey was that he didn't school well enough up at Crook a fortnight ago - didn't go too well," said Lee.

"He' such a great horse that we weren't prepared to take that risk. If you don't school well you don't run.

"The boss (Howard Johnson) made that decision.

"At Aintree the fences are huge and it all depends on how good a shape the horse you're on is in.

"They'll either chase them or they won't."

But chase Grey Abbey did on Thursday, and Lee himself is chasing his own goals this season.

"I just want to stay successful - I'd love to ride 100 winners in a season. Whether or not I do that this year I don't know.

"I've still got a chance but I'll need a little bit of luck. I need five by the 23rd April.

"The problem is that the jump meetings are drying up. I'm ambitious and that's my immediate target."

He's on 95 now and the century mark could still be within his grasp with 15 days of the jumps season left. Success today would help, but to Lee, Aintree, like Cheltenham, is just another meeting.

His preparation this week was a meeting at his home track, Sedgefield, where he brought home Blairgowrie to win, but like any good jockey it's a case of one meeting at a time.

"The thing about Aintree is that for us it's just another meeting - Cheltenham's the same," said Lee.

"There's no changes to our training schedule, none at all - we do nothing different. We had a meeting at Sedgefield on Tuesday and I had Timmy Murphy staying with me for that.

"He stayed a few days and then all we had to decide was whether to travel down Wednesday night or Thursday morning (to Aintree) and we headed down together.

"We do the same things we do every day of the week. The only difference is that we are riding better horses but we are also riding against better opposition.

"To jockeys it's just another race meeting. I was looking forward to Cheltenham but I wasn't particularly nervous leading up to that.

"Cheltenham and Aintree are both big meetings but they're very different meetings.

"I don't really know why but it seems at Aintree all the lads go out together. It's just a little more relaxed, in truth more of a festival atmosphere for us jockeys if that makes any sense.

"It seems that at Cheltenham the racing is the be all and end all - it's more intense."

Somehow, at 4 .10 this afternoon, most race watchers will not believe there won't be a little more tension coursing round the body of Lee.

The butterflys in the stomach will be bigger, the throat a more dry the palms of his hands a bit more clammy.

He may have been the champion of Cheltenham last month, but another triumph in the National will secure his place amongst the sport's elite - and delight the North-East backers who see him as one of their own.