Gai Waterhouse horse escapes Royal Randwick, runs along road

One of Gai Waterhouse’s prized thoroughbreds has made a bolt for freedom days before the second day of The Championships at Royal Randwick.

A Gai Waterhouse horse which escaped the stables at Randwick and run down Alison Rd.

One of Gai Waterhouse’s prized thoroughbreds has made a bolt for freedom days before the second day of The Championships at Royal Randwick.

Startled diners were astonished to see the racehorse galloping along Alison Rd in Randwick at lunchtime.

“We were surprised to see the horse heading along Alison Road at a steady gallop,” eyewitness George Newhouse said.

“We were quite worried about the horse.”

Police attended and helped with the escaped mare.

The five-year-old chestnut mare was caught by an Australian Turf Club staff member who had pursued it from Randwick Racecourse.

It is understood the horse is part of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s stable and was in an exercise area at the racecourse when it managed to escape.

The mare got through a gate, crashed through a wire fence and then left the racecourse via an automated gate that was open.

It then headed down Alison Road before being recaptured at the junction with Dangar Street.

An Australian Turf Club spokesman said an investigation was underway into how the horse escaped.

The horse about to be loaded back onto a float.

“It could have been catastrophic but has turned out very well. Apart from some minor cuts, the horse is not hurt and has been safely recaptured,” he said.

The racehorse covered around 1km, far less than the two racehorses who escaped from the Magic Millions beach race on the Gold Coast in January and spent 20 minutes crossing tram lines and the Gold Coast Highway before being recaptured.

Trainer Adrian Bott declined to comment.

Originally published as Gai Waterhouse horse escapes Royal Randwick, runs along road