Royal guests among VIPS at Magic Millions

Members of the Royal family will be among the big names floating around the highly anticipated Magic Millions event on the Gold Coast next month.

The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall will be bringing her nine-month-old son Lucas to Australia for the first time in January as the nation shakes off its Covid hangover.

Zara will be attending the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast, which will kickstart the new year by adding showjumping to its equine event stable of polo, a $10 million race day and international yearling sales.

“We are excited to be able to come back – I love Australia, it is a beautiful country full of fantastic people,” enthused Zara from her home at Gatcombe Park in the Cotswolds.

She and her husband, former international rugby player Mike Tindall, have been regulars at the Magic Millions with their daughters Lena, 3, and Mia, 7. However this year Mia may have to stay at home in chilly England.

Zara and Mike Tindall with "Happenstance" at her farm on November 23, 2021 in Gloucestershire, England. Picture: Hollie Adams Styling: Kimberly Gardner and Annie Miall (Zara), and Daniel Johnston (Mike), styling sourced via Pacific Fair, major partner of Magic Millions. Zara wears: Rebecca Vallance, jewellery: Calleija. Hair & Makeup: Alisia Ristevski

“I think we will hope to bring two – Mia is slightly older so taking her out of school for so long is difficult,” Zara says.

“She has done a few years and she loves the Australian lifestyle.”

In previous years Zara has taken to the polo field with the likes of Argentinian Nacho Figeuras, the David Beckham of polo, former NRL legend Billy Slater and Winx jockey Hugh Bowman, while her husband provides the commentary.

In 2017 she experienced an “involuntary dismount” and as she got back to her feet her husband reassured the crowd over the public address system: “She’s tough, she bounces,” he said. Each year Tindall promises to take up the reins himself.

“He would love to play. He gets all keen when he gets out there and then there isn’t enough time to train up during the year,” Zara says.

But there is no doubt that as well as playing polo the 41-year-old – whose mother Princess Anne presented her with a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics as part of the Great Britain Eventing Team – will be heavily involved in the new show jumping event.

“I will definitely be involved in it this year but may need to look at riding in the event the following year,” she says.

“I probably won’t have time to sit on a horse long enough after we get out of quarantine to get to know it well enough to jump.”

And for her the horse is what it is all about. “That’s what I love about the sport, there is a huge other personality and character that we have to work with, which is obviously the horse and they are the main event really.”

The new show jumping event is the final piece in the equestrian puzzle for the week long celebration of the horse. For Zara it is a natural addition.

“All these disciplines link. Racehorses and then retraining racehorses to go into polo and jumping,” she says.

“Of course, many people in racing have children who are show jumping.”

Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page at the Gold Coast Turf Club for the Star Magic Millions race day. Picture: Luke Marsden

Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page, whose daughter Georgina is a professional show jumper in Europe, believes it was just a matter of time before show jumping was showcased at the Magic Millions.

“The horse is always the important thing to us, whether it is racing, polo or showjumping, so this fits so nicely,” she says.

“We are so excited about it. We are going to have the best show jumpers in Australia show casing what they can do. For people who have never been to see live show jumping and experienced the excitement of a final then the Gold Coast in January is where they need to be.”

The Magic Millions show jumping event has a prize money pool of $100,000, which puts it on par with the nation’s most lucrative.

“When we announced we were doing this it did not take a lot for the show jumpers to say they were coming – of course we are offering $100,000 in prize money, but they wanted to be there because they know that Magic Millions is one of the best,” Page says.

“Covid has been tough on people so for them to be able to get back into competition in front of people and show what they can do is wonderful. It is also giving women the opportunity to shine.”

Zara Tindall with "Happenstance" at her farm on November 23, 2021 in Gloucestershire, England. Picture: Hollie Adams

It is no coincidence that Page, who is a champion of women in sport, should choose another event to complement racing and The Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo where women compete equally with men.

“All three sports tick the box for me – you are giving women a platform to be the best they can in a sport where they are equal,” she says. “We have got fantastic female jockeys and trainers coming through, the same with polo.

“It is all equal, men and women compete on literally the same playing field.”

This philosophy flows through the entire week. Magic Millions Racing Women encourages women-only syndicates to get involved in buying a yearling at the sales. On race day, where more than $10 million in prize money is on offer, horses bought in previous years by women-only syndicates automatically qualify for the $750,000 Racing Womens’ boost in prize money in The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic and 3YO Guineas.

The show jumping will join polo, the fifth year it has been held on the Gold Coast, will include a champagne party to kick off the week.

In previous years the day has been attended by the likes of Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson, champion jockey Frankie Dettori and Ride Like A Girl director Rachel Griffiths.

Many of Australia’s top show jumpers will be making the trip for the first time. Three time Olympian Vicki Roycroft will be towing a horse float from her home at Mount White an hour north of Sydney to compete in the event.

Zara and Mike Tindall with "Happenstance" at her farm on November 23, 2021 in Gloucestershire, England. Picture: Hollie Adams Styling: Kimberly Gardner and Annie Miall (Zara), and Daniel Johnston (Mike), styling sourced via Pacific Fair, major partner of Magic Millions. Zara wears Zimmerman, jewellery: Calleija. Hair & Makeup: Alisia Ristevski

“It is pretty great that our sport is starting to be in a position to earn us a bit of money,” she says. “I have been to six Olympics as a rider and coach and I am not a wealthy person.”

At 68 she is also one of the more senior competitors.

“I am no spring chicken but luckily in our sport it is the horse that does most of the work.”

Internationally, show jumping has hit the big time with the Global Champions Tour taking 30 of the world’s top riders to compete in 15 rounds of competition.

“The Magic Millions event on the Gold Coast will start to bring us some of the same recognition in Australia,” she says.

For Page it is as much about the message to a beleaguered nation as it is about the event.

“It will be fantastic,” she says.

“It is Magic Millions in January kicking off the future – a post-Covid era giving people the confidence that the future is going to be better.”

In partnership with Racing Queensland.

The 2022 Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo is on January 9 and Magic Millions Raceday is January 15. Brisbane and the Gold Coast come alive for the TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival. Visit racingqueensland.com.au.

Originally published as Royal guests among VIPS at Magic Millions