Two jockey-less racehorses ran amok on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, bringing traffic to a standstill and creating a spectacle on the streets after escaping an event.
The thoroughbreds were part of a Magic Millions promotional beach race for the annual showcase.
As hundreds of onlookers watched the event on the sand at Surfers Paradise, the two horses took the opportunity to bolt from the scene.
Footage shows the escapees — decked out in their racing finery — exiting the beach area, crossing a pedestrian footpath and galloping away.
With the wind in their manes, the equines trotted up the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic which was forced to stop.
They crossed the tramline and weaved through residential areas.
All the while evading attempts to recapture them, the racers turned onto the Gold Coast Highway and reportedly travelled up the main road for 1km.
Tweet from @LJewstein
Up to 10 people were attempting to catch the horses and bring an end to their thrilling adventure.
It was unclear why these two particular animals did not have riders and it’s believed no person, or creature, was injured during the escapade.
One witness told 7NEWS the family was loading the car for a day at Wet ‘n’ Wild when “two horses came racing past”.
“We thought, ‘This shouldn’t be happening’.
“So we started following, seeing if we could get them. There were certainly people running after them.”
Journalist Paul Syvret took photos of the handsome animals — one brown and one black — sneaking past homes.
“Not quite the normal traffic in our ‘hood’,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Barrier Draw is held as a free promotional event with champion jockeys riding thoroughbreds down the Surfers Paradise Foreshore.
The escapees were reportedly caught outside a unit complex and safely taken into custody by Magic Millions officials.
