Zara Tindall 'annoyed' by husband Mike's £12,000 purchase after 'a few beers'

Zara Tindall was left "so annoyed" when her husband Mike spontaneously splashed out £12,000 on a horse after "a few beers". The incident occurred during a sales night at Cheltenham Racecourse, according to Princess Anne's daughter.

The 44-year-old explained that horses would be presented and attendees could decide if they wished to purchase them. It wasn't until the final lot of the evening that former England rugby captain Mike decided to make a bid.

Speaking to Closer, Zara said: "He'd had a few beers. It was the last lot of the night, Mikey put his hand up and that was it. He was left buying this horse for £12,000.

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"Annoyingly, it did not backfire. He got three mates involved and the horse ended up winning the Welsh Grand National and came third in the Grand National. I was so annoyed."

The horse, named Monbeg Dude, was co-owned by Mike along with ex-England rugby star James Simpson-Daniel and retired Wales fly-half Nicky Robinson. It was trained by Michael Scudamore, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Monbeg Dude gained recognition as one of the leading steeplechasers of its era. However, in 2016, the then 10-year-old was forced into retirement due to an injury sustained during the Grand National race.

Following his retirement, Monbeg Dude moved in with Mike and Zara, an Olympic silver medalist, at Gatcombe Park. This expansive Gloucestershire estate is home to both the Tindall family and the Princess Royal and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.

Scudamore expressed "mixed feelings" over the enforced retirement of the racehorse, feeling it was both "sad" but also "nice to see him go out in one piece".

Talking to BBC Sport, he commented: "It's great to see him going to a happy retirement but he will certainly leave a big hole in the yard. We've had some great days with him and the thing about him was that he wasn't bred to be a superstar."

Reflecting on Monbeg Dude's journey, Scudamore mentioned the horse "didn't cost a lot of money" yet hailed him as a "tough performer". Despite considering a return to fitness for more races, he concluded it would "not be fair" due to the horse's age.

The cherished Monbeg Dude spent his later years at Gatcombe Park beside Zara's late horse Toytown, which passed away in 2017. Both Zara and Toytown were expected to take part in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics but injuries prevented their participation.

Zara did, however, compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games, securing a silver medal in Team Eventing, mirroring the athletic legacy of her parents – her mother Anne competed in eventing at the 1976 Olympics while her father Mark Phillips clinched gold in 1972 Munich games.