Billy puts colt up for bids in Bundall

NRL legend Billy Slater has traded footballs for racehorses in his new career as a thoroughbred breeder and has everything riding on lot 402 in the Magic Millions yearling sales on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

“He was our only foal this year,” Slater said of the brown colt that will go under the hammer at the annual sale this afternoon.

One of the last to be sired by the late champion Redoute’s Choice out of Inishowen it has race winning bloodlines and has attracted huge attention from the trainers and owners who have made it through Queensland’s strict COVID restrictions to attend the sales.

“He has grown up at the farm and is really one of the family,” said Slater. “We are sad to let him go.”

Slater spent a day in quarantine at The Star Gold Coast waiting for a COVID test result to come back negative before heading to the Bundall sales complex. Because of the coronavirus his wife Nicole and horse-mad kids stayed at home on the farm in Victoria.

He is one of the few big name ambassadors to make it to the annual yearling sale with the Queen’s pregnant granddaughter Zara Phillips and husband Mike Tindall locked down in the UK and Argentinian polo star Nacho Figueras and former model wife Delfina Blaquier in Argentina.

The annual polo match has been cancelled because of the coronavirus but the early morning ride along the beach yesterday went ahead – minus the rivalry between Slater and Figueras.

“I missed Nacho during the beach race,” said Slater afterwards. “Hopefully next year we can get the pandemic under control and all come back for a fantastic Magic Millions carnival.”