RED-FACED jockey Aaron Mitchell was inches away from ‘becoming a meme’ after he almost threw away a £30,000 race.
The Aussie rider, 25, looked to have the valuable contest in the bag aboard former Dermot Weld-trained runner Valac at Pakenham in Melbourne.
But with his horse around five lengths clear approaching the line, he began to ease down and very nearly threw the race away as runner-up Bud Fox flew home.
Realising his mistake, Mitchell desperately tried to get his horse going again in the final strides.
And the 10-year-old grey managed to cling on by a head, saving the young jockey’s blushes.
The commentator was taken by surprise and exclaimed as they crossed the line: “He cocked up a bit early!”
