THE Australia Day theme embraced by race clubs around the country yesterday was taken to extreme levels at the Hanging Rock race meeting when a number of kangaroos invaded the course, causing the meeting to be abandoned before a race could be run.

Racing Victoria steward Peter Ryan, who chaired yesterday's annual Australia Day meeting at the famous course in the Macedon Ranges, said three separate waves of kangaroos had come on to the course and left him no choice but to terminate the seven-race card due to safety concerns.

A kangaroo runs its lone race at Hanging Rock. Credit:Michelle van Kampen

''The club had some trouble with kangaroos last year and so built a big fence to keep them out, but several found a new way on to the track,'' Ryan said.

''Try as hard as we could to clear them from the area, they kept returning. We had no alternative but to call a halt to the meeting as we could not be satisfied about the safety of jockeys and horses.''