LOCKY SCORSE – ANOTHER MAJOR STEP IN GOAL TO RIDE AGAIN

Locky pictured with mother Lara after booting home his first winner

IT’S racing’s feel good story to start the new season.

Newcastle apprentice Locky Scorse, involved in a near fatal racetrack incident at Taree nearly two years ago, has taken another important step in not only his recovery – but also his passion to resume his riding career.

Scorse, who turned 21 in April, got the “thumbs up” earlier this week when he visited the Newcastle Brain Injury Centre at Bar Beach and spoke with neurology specialist Dr David Kellett.

The outcome was that he can start riding horses three-quarter pace and gallops in trackwork at Broadmeadow.

That’s some achievement given he suffered two bleeds on the brain and a stroke when his mount Balzando crashed near the 500m in a Class 3 Handicap (1262m) at Taree on October 29, 2023 when three other jockeys also fell in a chain reaction.

Not quite 12 months after the shocking accident, the fourth generation jockey – both his late grandfather Roy Hinton and grandfather Alan Scorse, and his father Mathew all rode - as part of his rehabilitation and recovery began riding a pony (walking or trotting for a few minutes at a time up to an hour) several mornings a week in the early trackwork hours in the centre of Broadmeadow racecourse.

Locky, centre, after riding work at Broadmeadow with father Mathew & cousin Patrick

Understandably, Scorse is chuffed with this latest news, especially given five other injured jockeys who previously visited the Brain Injury Centre were never able to get back on a horse.

“I’m the lucky one, but I also realise I still have a long way to go before I can ride in races again,” he said today.

“But it’s what I want to do, and I have set myself a goal to compete in races next year.”

Scorse says the subsequent events which followed his fall have helped him learn a lot about himself.

“I’m very thankful that I have a good support team of my family and my mates,” he said.

“Obviously I still have obstacles to overcome, and really it is all about starting over again.

“I am very mindful of the fact that I have a responsibility to my fellow jockeys and the trainers and owners of the horses.

“I want to be absolutely 100 per cent to go back and ride in a race, and don’t care how long it takes.

“If I have to ride in 80 trials, I will before my Dad (Mathew) and Cameren Swan (both former jockeys) make a decision on my future as a jockey.

“Now that Dr Kellett has given me the go ahead, I will ride trackwork three or four mornings a week at three-quarter pace and gradually build up to full pace and then jumpouts.”

Scorse as a 19-year-old made his riding debut at Tuncurry on July 1 two years ago, and two days later at only his fourth ride, clinched his first winner when he led throughout on his master, Newcastle trainer David Atkins’ horse Rockbarton Roman, at Muswellbrook in a 1450m Class 3 Handicap.

He had tallied six winners at the time of his Taree fall.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter staff is credited with saving his life and airlifted him in a critical condition to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital.

He spent 23 days there; the first three in intensive care and remainder in the high observation unit.

Scorse then was moved to the Rankin Park Rehab Hospital for a further week before spending several weeks at the Brain Injury Centre – which did an outstanding job to aid his recovery - as an in-patient.

Now an out-patient, Scorse puts in plenty of hours doing gym sessions, and also rides a mechanical horse, courtesy of Newcastle Jockey Club racecourse manager Chris Nation.

HOOFNOTE: Chatting with Locky Scorse, it was plainly evident he has matured greatly in the near two years since his fall.

So much so that he is realist, and has put plans in place should his dream of riding again not bear fruition.

Scorse is doing a Trainers’ course and also is keen on management of jockeys.

“I would be a jockeys’ manager first and later take on training if the opportunity arose.

“No matter what happens, I definitely want to retain a future in the racing industry.”

Story John Curtis, August 6, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos