A JOCKEY saved a young rival from a potentially fatal fall with this incredible mid-race move – sacrificing his own chance of victory.
Hero John Rudd put his own safety at risk to save Lilli Barr after she slipped in the saddle and hung off the side of her mount.
Barr, 17, was left clinging on for dear life after losing grip of Prompt Reply during a race at Roma in Australia on Saturday.
Rudd was coming up along Barr and noticed she was in grave danger.
It was then the veteran gave up his own chance to win in order to help the apprentice.
Pulling up alongside Prompt Reply, Rudd, who was on Atyaaf, reached over and grabbed the teenager, pulling her back up in to the saddle.
The heroic jockey said afterwards: “I lost my chance in the race to help her.
“She thanked me after the race, I think she was still in shock a bit really.
“I didn’t have any winners, that was my only real chance, but that’s OK.
“It’s better staying on rather than hitting the ground, I know what it’s like hitting the deck.
“Yeah they reckon I did (save her), but I can’t remember too much of it to tell the truth.
“I remember her coming across under me and that’s about it, she was hanging off the side of her horse after that.”
‘I’VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE’
Calling the action as it happened, the stunned commentator said: “We’ve got a riderless horse there, it’s Prompt Reply, young Lilli Barr hanging on there.
“A good effort by the jockey of Atyaff, pulling Lilli Barr back into the saddle.
“Great effort there by the jockey of Atyaaf. I’ve never seen that before in 49 years of race-calling.”
Barr said: “I clipped heels and that was it, I was hanging on for dear life. I didn’t want to fall and get trampled and I was worried I was going to get my feet stuck in the stirrups and dragged along and I obviously didn’t want that, especially on the dirt.
“Luckily Johnny Rudd came up alongside me. John pulled me back up and if he didn’t, I think I was about to fall so he really helped me a lot. He’s the hero.”
‘HE’S THE HERO’
Rudd ended up finishing sixth while Barr came in last after the frightening incident.
Punters were stunned by Rudd’s selflessness.
One said: “I take my hat off to him for doing that, what a life-saver.
“He even risked falling himself, what a true professional.”
Rudd’s moves follow that of Hayley Turner in this country, who also saved a rival from potential serious injury after a dangerous stalls incident.
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