1. Oh what a feeling!

Some of these thoroughbreds could get a gig at Cirque du Soleil! Five extraordinary images from the weird and wonderful world of the Sport Of Kings that look fake, but are very much real.

"A mouse!" Image: Racingfotos.com

Many initially disputed that this pic of Arbitrageur launching into the stratosphere at the 2014 Layton (County Meath) beach races could be real, but the video evidence is irrefutable!The bloke pictured with his life flashing before his eyes might need a change of underwear, whilst we're pretty confident Arbitrageur would give the vertical leap record a shake if invited down to the NAB AFL Draft Combine!

Jockey Johnny King and Arbitrageur survey their prey.

Image: Racingfotos

2. Schattenlady's Hanover headstand

Horse and rider were thankfully uninjured in this shocking incident at Hanover. Image: Alamy.com

Amazingly, German mare Schattenlady emerged from this spectacular headstand unscathed.

During a race at Hanover in 2008, the four-year-old dislodged rider Anna-Katharina Bromann before the saddle slipped right down around her hindquarter, causing her to take fright.





3. Does my bum look big in this?

This entirely unnatural image certainly looks photoshopped but again, additional snaps of the astonishing incident prove that it's the real deal.

Holy Roller had to be seen to be believed. Image: Sandra Priestley / Newspix

4. Stephan's Angel gets her wings

Gigantic thoroughbred Holy Roller plied his trade onDespite his extraordinary size he was a very good horse, winning 12 of 25 starts, including the G2 Waterford Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley.

Connections decided to saddle Stephan's Lady in front of the stands. Image: Cindy Pierson Dulay

5. Punching out of your weight division





Flighty filly Stephan's Angel did not take kindly to being saddled-up before the 2004 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, Baltimore, resulting in this incredibly graceful buckjumping display.Once she regained her composure the mare went on to finish second in the race, before ultimately taking up broodmare duties on a farm in Kentucky.

Bianmick made jockey Darren Gauci look impossibly small. Image: Greg Irvine / Magic Millions

We knew horses had it over jockeys size-wise, but never has the difference looked so pronounced as in this stunning pic. Here the diminutive 52kg Darren Gauci 'shapes up' to unpredictable 570kg gelding Bianmick in one of the all-time great mismatches!





"I just thought, 'What a big bastard; you're a big boy aren't you?'" jOCKEY DARREN GAUCI

Just after this photo was taken in the Caulfield mounting yard in 2013, Bianmick thankfully landed safely alongside Gauci, with horse and rider reuniting to take their place in the 1400m event (finishing second-last).