Racehorse TALK

Speedy recovery hoped for 

By Ken Gentles

Popular Newcastle-based jockey Morgan Butler has escaped with his life by a whisker after fall on Tamworth Cup Day on the 26th of April.

Butler fell from a horse called Sacruzam in the opening race on cup day and was told at Tamworth Base Hospital that night that he may never walk again.

"I remember the fall vividly," Butler told The Racing Scene from his wheelchair which he is now in for several more months at Hunter Private Hospital. 

"I clipped the heels of the horse Paul Falvey was riding and came down quick as a flash, my horse hit the deck head first and then rolled and missed me, but the second time he rolled is where the problems for me began." 

The horse rolled straight on top of the stricken rider landing with its full force crushing Butler's pelvis in five places and leaving him in agonising pain. 

Not only did he break his pelvis in multiple places but he fractured his tail bone, broke two ribs and he was in a whole lot of trouble. 

"I was flown to Hunter Hospital that night and I was lucky enough to have one of the world's leading surgeons in his field - Doctor Balog - operate on me and he basically saved me from a life without walking." 

Now in a wheelchair and off his feet until at least June 9, Butler has steel rods sticking out of him everywhere ("very uncomfortable" he says) and is set for a long haul of rehab before he can even consider riding again.

"I am on a constant round of pain killers and am supposed to be dosed up every four hours," he admitted " But if I can go without them I will try to put it off - I do not want to become reliant on them." 

Talking to the jockey, mentally he is as bright as a button and sounds very determined to one day return to the saddle. 

"Doctor Balog said that he could not tell me whether I would ride again or not but he would not totally rule it out either - it just depends how everything knits back together." 

If determination counts for anything, Butler may well one day make it back to the saddle but for the moment he is just pleased he is still around to even complement that dream. 

"I hope to take my first steps on the 9th of June until then I cannot get to my feet, I want to start to walk so that I can be sent to Maitland Hospital for rehab which is closer to my home but they won't take me unless I am out of this wheelchair."

It is a real tragedy that this has happened at a time when he was having a great season and kicking home plenty of winners; things were really falling into place on the racetrack. 

The rider has been visited by Maurice Logue, Racing NSW's jockey liaison officer, and they will assist in any way they can during Morgan's rehab. 

In the meantime, I am sure that everyone in racing wishes him the speediest recovery possible and we see Morgan Butler back at the race track to say G'day to all of his mates sooner rather than later.