One for the Spring Carnival? Kangaroo intrudes on race

Intruders on the racecourse have been a hot topic in recent weeks but it would be a shock to see anything like this on a British or Irish track as a crafty kangaroo almost caused chaos at Cessnock this week.

The runners and riders in the final race of the day at the New South Wales venue got more than they bargained for as the kangaroo joined in midway through the ten-and-a-half-furlong contest.

Perhaps a potential Spring Carnival candidate, the kangaroo showed good speed, but jockey Serg Lisnyy was more concerned about the creature's impact on his mount The Blues Brother.

A shocked Lisnyy pulled his horse out away from the rail to take evasive action, which saw The Blues Brother swerve across the path of Sebring Magic, before the kangaroo veered sharply left through a gap behind those two runners and the rest of the field and off the track.

Sebring Magic's jockey, Luke Cumberland, could hardly believe his eyes, turning his head to make sure Skippy had departed the scene before returning to a position closer to the rail.

There was no kangaroo involved in the finish but the race did go the way of The Cunning Tiger – who is definitely a horse.