THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a jockey cheated death after a 'braindead' rival caused disaster.

Irad Ortiz's quick thinking meant he left the saddle of one horse for another - before crashing to the ground in a horrific start to the $1million Jockey Club Gold Cup in New York on Sunday.

Ortiz was rushed to hospital soon after but miraculously escaped serious injury.

The calamitous scenes were sparked by Kendrick Carmouche veering left sharply out of the gates on Phileas Fogg.

That set off a chain reaction that saw several horses bash into each other.

The contact was such that Ortiz was knocked off his mount Mindframe and onto White Abarrio.

In scarcely believable footage, top US rider Ortiz is shown sitting behind White Abarrio's actual jockey Edgard Zayas as they thunder down the t

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