Jockeys and horses have avoided disaster in a sensational opening to Warren’s big 9 race program today, Monday 2 June with a Kangaroo jumping in front of the closely packed field at the 400m mark.

The danger was apparent to winning jockey Jake Pracey Holmes in the 2400m Stayers Handicap.

‘’I saw the roo out of the corner of my eyes and yelled to the others ‘here we go, here we go’," he said.

"I just had to handle it and push the old bloke to the line.’’

Pracey Holmes won the first two races at Warren.

Will To Excel, a 9 year old gelding trained by Hawkesbury trainer James Ponsonby, scored his 8th win at $26 narrowly over Joshua for Dubbo trainer Connie Greig. 

"I did the see skippy bounding through the field and I was concerned," said Ponsonby, who formerly trained in the west.

"I just said to myself hang on, hang on.’’

A snip from the race video shows the kangaroo facing down oncoming horses. SOURCE: RacingNSW

Its not uncommon to see kangaroos on race tracks in the Western Plains and central west.

A trotting meeting was held up at Bathurst when a roo jumped the fence.

Stewards at Warren today quickly did an inspection of the track after the near calamity, ensuring no harm could come to horses and riders in later races.

A second kangaroo appeared before Race 4 delaying the race start but was diverted from joining the race.

Watch the whole race on Racing NSW website here.