Mike Tindall got last laugh after wife Zara branded him an 'idiot' for £12,000 purchase

Mike Tindall once bought a racehorse during a boozy night out at an auction, with his Royal wife Zara less than impressed with his accidental five-figure purchase

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Zara Tindall once labelled her husband Mike an "idiot" after he splashed out £12,000 on a racehorse following a booze up at an auction. But the England rugby union legend had the final say when his prized stallion went on to earn him thousands in prize money.

The horse, called Monbeg Dude, was snapped up by Mike in the early 2010s whilst he was enjoying a night out with mates. As the drinks kept flowing, the Royal Family member cheekily threw in a £10,000 bid for the horse, which climbed to £12,000 after a few more beers.

Mike, who turns 47 on Saturday (October 18), hadn't anticipated winning anything during the bidding and had no intention of making a purchase that evening - but fate had different ideas. He previously told the Daily Mail: "I like to bid in auctions without meaning to actually win things.

"I only went for a bite to eat and a night out. No horse had gone for less than £28,000 so I thought my first bid of £10,000 was pretty safe, likewise when I upped it to £12,000.

"I knew nothing about the horse, hadn't checked the brochure and couldn't even see the Dude, as I was sitting with my back to the sale ring."

Upon discovering his alcohol-fuelled mistake, Mike decided to split the expense of the horse with three of his pals, including trainer Michael Scudamore. Zara wasn't exactly thrilled with Mike's new acquisition, confessing she "probably" branded him an "idiot" for such an extravagant choice.

However, he quickly won over his wife's affections when Monbeg Dude triumphed in the 2013 Welsh National at Chepstow. Following the victory, Zara said: "He just started bidding but he didn't know what he was bidding for.

"He didn't know any of its form or anything but luckily the horse has won."

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The stallion was subsequently entered into the 2015 Grand National with Liam Treadwell in the saddle. Despite being considered an outsider by bookmakers at 40/1, Monbeg Dude charged into third place, leaving owner Mike utterly stunned with a £105,000 windfall.

At the time, he tweeted: "I'm lost for words and emotions. All I can say is yes the dude!!!!!"

Throughout his entire racing career, Monbeg Dude secured four victories from 24 outings and banked a tidy £261,997 - fortunately vindicating the former rugby player's unintentional purchase.