Jockey Joe Anderson staked a claim for ride of the season after recovering from almost parting company with his horse on his way to a win at Plumpton.
An early error by Transmission left Anderson out of the saddle and clinging on around the horse’s neck.
But he managed to vault back into position and then maintain the momentum aboard his mount while returning his feet to the stirrups.
“I thought he was going down – he did very well to stand up,” said Anderson.
The 9-2 chance, trained by Neil Mulholland, settled down in the day’s most valuable race at the track, the BetGoodwin Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle, and eventually took the lead approaching the final set of hurdles.
He held on to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths, with the trainer full of praise for his jockey’s acrobatics.
“Joe made a fantastic recovery – he’s a good horseman and he’s ridden plenty of winners for us in the last year,” said Mulholland.
“It’s great for racing and it’s a good positive story. The applause the horse got when he came back in after the race, it was nice to be a part of it you know.
“For that to happen and then to win, it was a great result for me, for the owners, for Joe and for racing really.”
Anderson told Sky Sports Racing: “Thank God that is over and done with.
“I lost my irons and I kept going for one of them but it had gone over my saddle, so I was trying to get it back and every time I moved he kept 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 back.
“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.”
