MATTHEW Scorse has never been so relieved to feel a squeeze of his hand from son and apprentice jockey Lachlan.
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Lachlan has regained consciousness but remains in a serious but stable condition at John Hunter Hospital after a horror race fall at Taree on Sunday.
The grandson of former Group 1-winning jockey Alan Scorse suffered a head injury when Balzando broke down in the Class 3 Handicap and collapsed from under him.
The 19-year-old, who only began race riding four months ago, was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital and placed in an induced coma.
"Lachy came out of the coma at 1pm and has been taken off the machine to assist his breathing, so that is great," Scorse senior told the Newcastle Herald on Monday.
"He was able to squeeze my hand and give us a slight nod when we spoke to him.
"He has got a slight bleed in his brain, which as far as bleeds go is on the good scale. He is in ICU still and there's a lot to monitor in the coming days. His condition is serious but stable.
"We are fortunate that he has amazing nurses, doctors and neurosurgeons around him, as well as family and friends. He is a great kid, and we'll fight on."
The fall caused a chain reaction in which Jeff Penza (Mischievous Molly), Jeff Kehoe (Golden Breeze) and Courtney Van Der Werf (No Respect) were also dislodged.
Penza sustained fractured ribs and a punctured lung. Van Der Werf has a broken collarbone. Both remain in Port Macquarie hospital.
Kehoe had soft tissue bruising to his left leg and right shoulder but was cleared to go home.
Penza was a replacement rider on Mischievous Molly for Hunter jockey Andrew Gibbons, who was stood down after hurting his foot in the previous race.
"Our thoughts are with Lachy and his family," Gibbons said. "He comes from a good racing family and is a really nice kid.
"I spent a bit of time on the track with him before the helicopter got there. He was heavily sedated. I didn't talk to him much, it was just a matter of being there with him.
"I was probably the lucky one. I got an injury in the race before. Jeff and I are bloody good mates. I said to him, jump on Mischievous Molly, it will go good for you. I thought I was doing him a favour."
Fellow jockey Grant Buckley paid tribute to the injured quartet after he rode Apache Belle to victory in the Cessnock Cup (2100m) at Newcastle on Tuesday.
"To all the riders in hospital Lachy Scorse, Jeffo and young Courtney, I wish them all the best and a speedy recovery," Buckley said.
The win by Apache Belle gave Wyong trainer Wayne Seelin his second Cessnock Cup.
Favourite Silvakia looked set to win halfway down the straight but Apache belle kept coming and won by a neck.
Roller Coaster was five lengths away third.
"She is a ripper," Seelin said. "I was worried she wasn't going to get there but inch by inch she did it. She has won from 1200m to 2900m. She is a genuine race horse and loves what she does."
Earlier, the Kris Lees-Dylan Gibbons trainer-jockey combination landed a winning double.
Bangetta flashed home to win race five, a fillies and mares maiden plate (1150m).
Lightly raced filly Sollutionist was dominant winner in race four, a fillies and mares maiden (1150m).
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
