In a remarkable display of horsemanship, jumps jockey Joe Anderson produced a nomination for the ‘best recovery ride ever’ after being unseated from his mount Transmission (9-2) in the Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle (5026m) at Plumpton overnight.
Setting midfield in the field of eight, an early stumble saw the seven-year-old gelding dip sharply toward the turf, causing Anderson to fall over the neck of his mount, the 27-year-old hoop desperately gripping on to the horse in as he attempted to propel himself back aboard.
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Incredibly, Anderson found his way back into the saddle, and eventually regained his irons to not only steered his mount home safely – but to the unlikeliest of victories.
The Neil Mulholland-trained galloper eventually went on to score by two lengths, and an exasperated Anderson painted an understandably relieved picture when interviewed post-race.
“Thank god that is over and done with,” Anderson said to Sky Sports Racing.
“I lost the irons and I thought he was going down – he did well to stand up. One of my irons, I kept going for it, but it had gone over my saddle so I was trying to get it back.
“Every time I moved he started lighting up. Then jumping the last second time around he settled away, so I was able to have a little play around and get it then.
“It’s good he’s very good at jumping.”
The vision of Anderson back aboard Transmission before regaining his irons is enough to make most squirmish, however, the Liverpool-born jockey said that it wasn’t as unbearable as one would think.
“It wasn’t actually that uncomfortable to be honest with you and he jumps so well – if he was one who needed a good helping hand I might have struggled, but it worked out in the end,” he said.
Transmission drifted to 210-1 in running before regrouping to win Sunday’s feature race at Plumpton – which was also the biggest win of Anderson’s career – and not one he will be forgetting any time in the near future.
This story originally appeared on Punters.com.au and has been reposted with permission
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