Cody Morgan has said him winning his debut Kosciuszko this year would give his mother "a huge lift" as she recuperates following a horror horse-riding accident.
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In a video posted on Facebook, the leading Tamworth trainer detailed the terrible injuries Mary Morgan sustained when he said "a new horse that she had not ridden previously ... bolted - just took fright" and ran "full tilt into a tree".
"And she's just lucky to be alive," he said, adding that she sustained skull, facial and ribs fractures and a broken arm, as well as the loss of sight in one eye.
Mary had also been left with "minimal vision" in the other eye, Morgan said.
"But the doctors have sort of given her a lot of hope that over the coming months ... that it can improve," he said of the eye left with some vision.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifted Mary to John Hunter Hospital on August 14 following the accident at Manilla.
"Mum was unconscious and in a critical conditions being flown to John Hunter," Morgan said.
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"We drove straight down to John Hunter. And it was a long few hours driving down there, not knowing what the outcome would be."
He continued: "That first sort of 48 hours down there was scary times. But Mum's bloody tough."
Morgan thanked all the medical professionals who treated his mother, saying they provided her with "tremendous" and "incredible" care.
He added: "My staff, and just friends and family, have been brilliant help to [his brother] Luke and myself and Dad ... It's good to have Mum back in Tamworth."
Morgan has two horses in the $2 million Kosciuszko, a 1200-metre annual race that will be held at Royal Randwick on October 14.
He said Talbragar and Broken Hill "can run a solid 1200".
"And they're gonna have to, against arguably the strongest Kosciuszko field that's been produced in the last few years."
"I just know it would give Mum a huge lift if we were able to bring the trophy back to Tamworth," he said.
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