A promotional event for one of Australia’s richest race days descended into chaos when two horses escaped from a beach race and ran out onto the highway.
The annual event for the Magic Millions Carnival features top jockeys and celebrities taking part in mock races along the sands of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in front of thousands of onlookers.
Zara Tindall, who is on the Gold Coast with husband Mike as an ambassador for the Magic Millions horse sales and £6.2m raceday, has previously taken part in the beach races.
During Tuesday’s incident two of the participating horses managed to lose their riders after one of them spooked at the surging waves and took off into nearby residential areas.
Racing officials on horseback police in buggies set off in pursuit as the horses travelled more than a kilometre, stopping vehicles as they trotted against the traffic flow along the busy roads before they were recaptured.
According to local Queensland Police, neither horse was injured and they were transported back to their stables by horsebox.
It was the second incident involving escaped horses in three days after a horse broke through a fence at the Gold Coast racecourse and ended up in a canal.
Magic Millions said in a statement: “Two horses left the Surfers Paradise beach enclosure today after the beach run.
“Horses were returned almost immediately safe and unharmed. All horses have been vet checked and the jockeys involved were unharmed, but checked a precaution.”
