Mike Tindall has joked that his role at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast is to sit in a sidecar and “throw in innuendos” while Zara Tindall competes in showjumping and polo.
The former England rugby star made the remark during a 7 Horse Racing interview in Australia ahead of the 2026 Magic Millions programme.
Asked by presenter Emma Freedman what he would be doing while Zara competes, Mike replied: “I just sit in Hamish’s sidecar and listen to him talk, and then throw in innuendos about what he can do with a stick. But yeah, otherwise, that’s my job.”
As he spoke, Zara appeared to find the joke slightly too much for daytime television.
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In the clip, she looked away and laughed before turning back towards her husband with a deadpan expression, her eyes narrowed, and her tongue briefly pushed out, as if playfully skewering him for the comment.
Hamish McLachlan is a familiar face at the Magic Millions carnival and has fronted coverage for 7’s horse racing output, regularly appearing across the festival’s racing and polo events.
The couple are in Queensland as returning ambassadors for the 2026 Magic Millions season, which includes racing, sales and the headline polo and showjumping fixture at Doug Jennings Park in Main Beach.
Event co-owner Katie Page-Harvey confirmed the return of the ambassador group for 2026 in a statement released last year.
Zara Tindall left in stitches as Mike Tindall makes cheeky ‘innuendo’ joke on Australian TV
|GETTY / INSTAGRAM: 7 HORSE RACING
“I am thrilled to confirm the renewals of our entire Magic Millions ambassador family: Zara and Mike Tindall, Billy and Nicole Slater, Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier, and Hamish McLachlan,” she said.
Racing Queensland has also described Mr McLachlan as a Magic Millions ambassador and Seven Horse Racing host, as it announced the event’s naming-rights partnership ahead of the 2026 carnival.
The Tindalls’ trip began with media duties and a sporting outing, with 7 Horse Racing sharing footage of the pair speaking with Ms Freedman after arriving on the Gold Coast.
Zara is expected to balance a packed schedule across the festival, combining competitive appearances with ambassador commitments.
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Zara has served as patron of Magic Millions since 2012, marking over a decade of dedication to the prestigious event
|GETTY
The Magic Millions Polo and Showjumping day is set for Sunday, January 11, with organisers billing it as a full-day event combining two equestrian sports in one programme.
Mike’s sidecar quip came as the former rugby international again leaned into his familiar role as on-camera comic support during the couple’s Australia engagements.
While Zara spoke straightforwardly about her events and the horses, Mike opted for a more cheeky line, leaving his wife to manage the moment with a look that suggested she had heard it all before.
Asked if she would be “show jumping again and playing polo”, Zara replied: “I’m doing both again.
Zara Tindall is a worldwide professional equestrian | GETTY
“And yes, I’m in the Off The Track class, which is incredible. I’m jumping in that class, which is great.
“And then polo in the afternoon against Nacho and Delphina, the other ambassadors.
“So it’s a fun-packed day. It’s a very busy day. But it’s incredible, and people get to be right up close to the horses.”
The interview added another light-hearted clip to the Tindalls’ annual Magic Millions coverage, as organisers continue to promote the celebrity ambassador line-up alongside the racing and equestrian programme on the Gold Coast.