Anderson’s fantastic save
Joe Anderson made an astonishing recovery to produce one of the rides of the season and register the biggest victory of his career aboard Transmission at Plumpton.
Placed the last two races in the hands of the conditional jockey, Limpley Stoke trainer Neil Mulholland’s seven-year-old was sent off at 9-2 to claim the most valuable race on Sunday’s card, the Betgoodwin Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle.
However, victory seemed unlikely when an error early in the contest catapulted Anderson out of the saddle and clinging on for dear life around the horse’s neck.
He showed supreme horsemanship to vault back into the plate and then maintain the momentum aboard his mount as he eventually returned his feet to his stirrups.
Thanks to the extended threemile trip, Anderson still had plenty of time to then gather his thoughts and, approaching the home straight, was travelling best of all aboard Transmission.
He was ridden and took the lead approaching the final flight of hurdles and stuck on gamely to the task at hand to record a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over Robert Walford’s Hititi.
“It was great and we were hopeful before the race, but we weren’t planning on what happened,” said Mulholland.
“The horse had a couple of good runs and was going the right way and speaking to his owner Paul Mckeon, this race came up with plenty of money on offer and we decided to target it.
“It was all going well until the first hurdle down the back and then it looked like it was all going wrong, but Joe made a fantastic recovery - he’s a good horseman and he’s ridden plenty of winners for us in the last year.
“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.
“I’ve seen Paul Carberry at Leopardstown go under one side and come back up the other, but I’m not sure he won. 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, speaking to Sky Sports Racing, added: “Thank God that is over and done with.
“I lost my irons and I thought he was going down - he did very well to stand up.
“I kept going for one of my irons but it had gone over my saddle, so I was trying to get it back and every time I moved he kept lighting up and 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 .”