Australian jockey Blake Shinn, 27, had no intention of bringing up the rear after his embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during the Hyland Race Colours Plate at Canterbury Race Course, in Sydney.

Instead he delighted racegoers and TV viewers with a hilarious full moon as he surged towards the finishing post on Miss Royale with his trousers around his knees. Blake eventually finished second as he narrowly failed to overhaul winning jockey Tommy Berry.

“The elastic went during the race but I had to keep going,” he told reporters afterwards. “I usually come here and stay focused in search of winners. People wouldn’t know I’m that cheeky!”

He later wrote on Twitter: “Tried to give my fellow jocks a bum steer but unfortunately misfired.”

Meanwhile winning jockey Berry was just pleased to have missed out on events just behind him. “What a great race to win. It meant I was the only one that didn’t have to look at Blake’s arse the whole way up the straight,” he said.

You can check out Blake’s full moon here: http://www.youtube.com/v/DYM69N8V5J0.