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 twice in the hands of the conditional jockey, 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 three-mile 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.”

He went on: “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’s very good he’s very good at jumping.”

He went on: “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.

“It will probably be one of those where I watch it back and it will make me look a bit better than I actually am, but it all worked well today.”

Willmount made the perfect start to life over obstacles with an effortless win in the Agetur UK Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.

Trained by Neil Mulholland last season to win two bumpers, he moved to Nicky Henderson over the summer and the change of scenery has certainly not done him any harm.

Nico de Boinville found himself in front aboard Oli Harris’ £340,000 purchase after half a mile due to the speed at which his mount was jumping and from then on it was a solo affair.

Only Beny Nahar Road and Onewayortother attempted to keep pace but when De Boinville kicked clear on the turn for home and pinged the third last, the race was over and he cruised to a 13-length success.

“He gave me a lovely feel actually. There wasn’t much pace on so I was happy to just roll away down the back, he pricked his ears nicely and quickened away into the straight,” De Boinville told Racing TV.

“He jumped very nicely, was slick when he needed to be and he could fiddle away as well, which is great.

“He’s very uncomplicated, these pedigrees are showing more and more with their temperament and everything.”