Jockey Joe Anderson stakes his claim for ride of the season with miracle recovery to land Sussex Stayers Hurdle

There was a sea of people seeking 5lb conditional Joe Anderson’s autograph after what racegoers were calling the 'ride of the century' aboard Transmission in the track’s inaugural Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle.

The 3m1f event has a similar name to the Cheltenham Festival showpiece and the rider received an ovation to rival winning it after performing a miraculously acrobatic recovery to survive the seven-year-old's shuddering blunder at the sixth hurdle, and then jumping another four obstacles before regaining his irons. 

The manoeuvre elicited gasps and applause from the course's bulging Premier racing crowd, who moments later embraced the bitter cold and lined the winner's enclosure to welcome him back in with claps and cheers.

“I’ve never ridden in a race like that and I probably won’t again,” Anderson said after receiving a similar reaction from his weighing room colleagues. "You wouldn’t get a reception like that after riding a winner at Cheltenham. 

“He made a bit of a mistake down the back, he pitched right down, he’s actually done really well to stand up in the process. My right iron was swung over the saddle and I could feel the leather underneath me, but every time I tried to move to grab it he was just getting a run on with me so I just had to wait for him to settle.

"Thankfully he’s very good to jump and he made my life very easy. I thought if I was still going relatively well at the back of the third-last then I’d win. I was cantering and I just didn’t want to get there too soon.

“I got a shout off Ben Bromley and Bryan Carver asked me if I was pulling up and I said, ‘Absolutely not’. If you think I was pulling one up in a £75,000 race, you’ve got another thing coming! It’s really rewarding to win in a race of that calibre with good prize-money. Fair play to the track for putting it on.”

Racegoers flock to the winner's enclosure at Plumpton to welcome back Joe AndersonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Anderson, a 27-year-old Liverpudlian, is not from a racing background but became interested in the sport after watching it at his nan's house as a child, which prompted him to apply for the British Racing School's 14-week foundation course. After a spell with Nicky Henderson, he is now based with Emma Lavelle.

Among those in awe of his latest effort was Transmission's trainer Neil Mulholland, who made sure to mark the occasion with photographs of his own. In winning by two and a quarter lengths from Hititi, the unexposed hurdler was recording his first success since leaving Colm Murphy's yard.

"I said to Neil King with a circuit to go, 'If this wins, this is a ride of the year contender'," said Mulholland. "It all happened so quickly but Joe's done a great job and it was a brilliant result.

"I thought we were getting a second bite of the cherry and I was just hoping he'd get his irons back. He's a good horseman and he's done well for us this season. I'm delighted for his owner, Paul McKeon, who bought this horse over from Ireland. We'd had this race in mind for him."

Joe Anderson's incredible winning ride in pictures

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Credit: Sky Sports Racing

Spotlight comment

In touch with leaders, bad mistake and nearly unseated 6th, remarkable recovery but jockey lost irons before 7th, irons regained after 10th, headway 11th, pushed along before 2 out, ridden to lead approaching last, kept on well run-in, fine ride.

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