Ollie Carmichael used to dream of charging down the wing in red and white.

The Oxfordshire jockey who swapped football for racing came from last to first to land a 28-1 winner in the Brighton Mile.

He guided track specialist Uncle Dick to success in the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner contest, Brighton’s biggest race of the year.

It was the six-year-old’s eighth career win – seven of them at Brighton and all in 2023 or this year.

Carmichael, wearing the red and white usually donned by his favourite team Manchester United, revealed he gave up his football dreams to take to the saddle.

He told The Argus: “I always wanted to go into football but I wasn’t really getting anywhere.

“It came with such good timing that I was scouted on one of the simulators at Newbury races.

“It worked like clockwork. I started jockeying at 16.”

Carmichael got his timing just right to come through in front of the grandstand and pip leader Lunatik by half a length.

The jockey said: “He had me worrying but he just picked up.

“As soon as he got into that gear, I just knew he wanted this.”

Brighton-born Jason Watson opened the meeting with a pair of winners.

Then Willam Carson timed things right to guide Romanovich (5/1) to the Star Sports Classified Stakes by overhauling 100/30 favourite Letter Of The Law, also trained by John O’Shea, who set a brisk pace.

The Star Sports Festival continues on Thursday with Ladies Day.