Magic Millions: Ambassador Zara Tindall backs Gold Coast track to be ready for main race day
British royal and Olympic equestrian rider Zara Tindall says she’s confident the poison-damaged Gold Coast track will bounce back in time for the Magic Millions’ main race day next weekend, as police launch an investigation into the incident.
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Magic Millions ambassador, British royal and Olympic equestrian rider Zara Tindall says she’s confident the poison-damaged Gold Coast track will bounce back in time for the carnival’s main race day next weekend, as police launched an investigation into the incident.
Saturday’s first-ever Magic Millions twilight meeting had to be moved from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast after jockeys voiced safety concerns following the mystery poisoning.
Magic Millions organisers and Racing Queensland officials managed to move the $6m meeting to Caloundra while keeping the off-track party on the Gold Coast.
Race fans were given free admission to the Gold Coast Turf Club at Bundall to enjoy the festivities including a Daryl Braithwaite concert and new Magic Millions karaoke concert while watching the racing live from the Sunshine Coast on big screens.
Braithwaite was joined by Gold Coast pop star Amy Shark who answered a late call from organisers to help pump up the atmosphere trackside.
Magic Millions co-owners Katie Page and Gerry Harvey paid tribute to the racing community for pitching in to save the meeting, including Sunshine Coast Turf Club boss John Miller who approved the mammoth race move within minutes and worked around the clock to make it happen.
“Everyone got involved and did their very best and we pulled it off,” Mr Harvey said.
Mr Harvey said he had spoken with track officials and was quietly optimistic next Saturday’s main Magic Millions race day would go ahead.
Saturday’s meeting kicked off the 2025 Magic Millions carnival, which last year injected an estimated $60m into the Queensland economy, and will ramp up this week with the yearling sales and other events including Tuesday’s barrier draw and popular demonstration race on Surfers Paradise beach.
Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Mail, Tindall said the poisoning incident was a blow for the carnival but she believed the track would be repaired in time for the main Magic Millions race day.
“I think it’ll be fine for racing next weekend,” said the top horsewoman, who won a silver medal in eventing at the 2012 London Olympics.
“It’s great that we could still have the (twilight) racing at another track and have all the hospitality and entertainment stay on the Gold Coast.
“Some people never get out to the racetrack when they’re actually at the racetrack – they just watch it (inside) on the TV. It’s still a great atmosphere and hopefully next week, everything will be back to normal.”
Tindall, the niece of King Charles, joined fellow Magic Millions ambassadors trackside on the Gold Coast on Saturday to soak up the fun alongside thousands of racing fans who still flocked to the track.
They included her husband, British rugby great Mike Tindall, who hosted the first Magic Millions karaoke concert with fellow ambassador Nicole Slater, wife of NRL legend and Maroons coach Billy Slater who is also an ambassador.
Billy will join the Tindalls and Argentine polo star Nacho Figueras in Sunday’s Pacific Fair Magic Millions polo and showjumping on the Southport Spit. Zara Tindall test-rode her showjumping horse, former champion thoroughbred Paths of Glory, at the Southport Pony Club on Saturday ahead of the event.
The grey English import was retrained for eventing by top jockey Rachel King, who rode the horse during much of his racing career.
“He’s a good little jumper actually,” she said.
“It’s always nice to get a feel for what we’re going to do tomorrow (Sunday). I haven’t jumped for a bit.”
The Tindalls jetted into Queensland on Friday after spending Christmas at home in London and attending New Year’s Day races at Cheltenham with their three young children. Tindall, a Magic Millions ambassador since 2012, said the event was “unique” and had become “a huge part of our lives”.
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