Racehorses cross tram lines, Gold Coast highway after escaping beach promotion

One of two horses that crossed tram lines and the busy Gold Coast Highway after escaping from a racing promotion on Surfers Paradise beach took fright at the water lapping the shore.

The Magic Millions extravaganza, where horses are ridden along the sand, will review practices around the beach race after the thoroughbreds took off into traffic and residential areas.

A group of about 10 people including a clerk of the course, as well as on-site police in buggies, gave chase trying to capture the horses, but only managed to do so after both travelled more than a kilometre up the highway.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said the horses were unharmed in the incident and floats were arranged to transport them back home.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said one of the horses shied at having to divert near the edge of the water as it approached a plastic barrier towards the end of the course.

The Magic Millions carnival has long held a public event where hundreds of patrons line the sand and watch top jockeys and celebrities such as royal Zara Tindall and rugby league legend Billy Slater hold mock races on the famous strip.

The incident came in the last of three scheduled gallops down the beach, with Sydney-based group 1 winning jockey Rachel King one of the riders thrown from a horse. The other was Delfina Blaquier, the wife of Argentinian polo player and Magic Millions ambassador Nacho Figueras.

Organisers had metal barricades stretching several hundred metres down the beach to keep patrons away. The horses escaped beyond the plastic fences at one end.

Video taken by beachside residents shows the horses taking off into an adjacent street after coming within metres of people walking along the esplanade.

Horses on the beach for the Magic Millions promotion before Tuesday’s barrier draw.Credit: Luke Marsden

Their adventure on the Gold Coast Highway stopped southbound traffic as the horses galloped around vehicles and then onto the other side of the road.

They were eventually captured outside a unit complex nearby.

Asked about the mishap before his own celebrity dash, Slater said: “I did see it. I’m very glad to see they’re all right.”

In a statement, Magic Millions said: “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 as a precaution.”

Horses gallop down Surfers Paradise during the Magic Millions promotion.Credit: Luke Marsden

Magic Millions has been running the beach sprints for a number of years, but never experienced a misadventure like this year.

It will likely prompt a review of the circumstances of the beach spectacular, which involved up to 20 horses.

It was the second dramatic incident of a horse escaping from a controlled environment on the Gold Coast in the space of a week.

A runner in last Saturday’s meeting cleared a fence at the Gold Coast Turf Club en route to the barriers and was saved after wading through a canal.

The Magic Millions promotion is part of a week-long extravaganza which culminates on Saturday with eight races worth $1 million or more.

“We really enjoyed this morning and it’s a great way to start the day,” Slater said on Tuesday. “Everyone is able to witness thoroughbreds galloping on Surfers Paradise.

“Everything is growing, the excitement of it and it obviously surrounds the racing industry and the breeding part of the industry, but it’s so much more than that. It just brings people together. We’ve got ambassadors from all over the world and we’re like family when we come up here.”

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