Extraordinary scenes occurred at Meydan as the Dubai Gold Cup required a second running after the first attempt was declared a no race. (Pictured: SA Trainer Herman Brown)

The third race on the World Cup night program - the Dubai Gold Cup - was sensationally stopped mid-race and later declared a 'no race' after fancied runner Fox Hunt, who'd collapsed early in the event, could not be cleared from the track.

The race was then re-scheduled to 10.25pm Dubai time, after the planned finale of the Dubai World Cup, and was won by Opinion Poll under Frankie Dettori. However, the re-run was marred by a series of events. Grand Vent and Bronze Cannon succumbed to injury and failed to complete the course. Fox Hunt (after the first running) and Bronze Cannon (after the second running) had to be euthanised.

The initial running came to a halt when officials decided it was potentially unsafe to attempt to steer the field around the stricken horse, who'd broken a leg, and jockeys were signalled to ease their mounts down. Japanese hopeful Makani Bisty was leading Mikhail Glinka when the race was called off.

Connections of all runners were left non-plussed as racecaller Terry Spargo announced the decision midrace.

Jockey Silvestre De Sousa, who fell from Fox Hunt, was not hurt.

The drama evoked memories of a major racing day at Longchamp in 2008 in France when a chaotic false start to the Prix de l'Abbaye provoked scenes of confusion and left supporters of unbeaten Hungarian sprinter Overdose incensed.

Overdose 'won' but behind runners were scattered down the 1000m track after attempts to order a recall by a flagman and flashing lights were only partially successful. The race was eventually re-run at 7pm, almost five hours after its original time, with Overdose and two others of the 20-strong field withdrawn.

The 1993 Grand National, at Aintree, ended in chaos after a series of events at the start reduced the world-famous horse race to a shambles when 30 of the 39 riders failed to realise a false start had been called and set off around the racetrack. The Jockey Club was forced to declare the race void after several riders completed both laps of the gruelling 30-obstacle course and passed the finish line before they realised their mistake.