And the Melbourne Cup coverage moving over to Nine means Slater can get back into his other passion – horses. The Melbourne Storm legend is well known for his NRL and commentary careers, but he’s also a massive horse racing fan and was a trackwork jockey as a teenager.

Slater is a horse owner and runs his own breeding stable operation – Slater Thoroughbreds – with wife Nicole, who is also a horse lover and paints them in her work as an artist. The Slaters live on a farm in Victoria where they own a number of horses, and his work in the industry is part of the reason Billy is reluctant to get into full-time coaching.

He’s currently the Queensland State of Origin coach, but the part-time nature of the role allows him to continue his work in the horse racing industry and spend more time with his young family. But with the Melbourne Cup on Channel 9 this year, it’s opened up a new role for Slater.

“It’s going to be so exciting to be on the team that goes down and broadcasts the Melbourne Cup Carnival,” Slater said on Channel 9 on Tuesday morning. “Those four days at Flemington, it’s going be really exciting to be there and bring all our viewers into the action.

“I’ll get the ability to get in behind the barriers and talk to some of the jockeys after they win some of the biggest races of their life. I might find myself on a horse and get out there amongst it and give the viewers an insight into what they are thinking and how calm it can be behind a barrier. Then also how emotional it can be after a race and talking to the jockeys that work so hard to get there.”

Billy Slater back to his roots with Melbourne Cup role

Slater was a trackwork jockey for legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse up until he was 16, but decided to focus on rugby league when he realised he was too heavy to be a jockey. “Horse racing is something I have always had a passion for,” he said earlier this year.

“I was 16 years old and I finished Grade 11 and left school and I was living down in Sydney on my own and working for Gai. That was a real eye-opener. To see the operation of a high-quality trainer like Gai, it probably helped me subconsciously when I went on to pursue an NRL career. I was about 70kg when I was 16, so I was never going to be a jockey.”

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Eddie McGuire is set to head up Channel 9’s coverage of the Melbourne Cup carnival, while the network as also secured iconic jockey Michelle Payne. “The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of the greatest spectacles in the sporting world, and we couldn’t be prouder to be the host,” Nine’s director of sport Brent Williams said.

“With such an extraordinary line-up of talent, combined with our state-of-the-art production, we are set to deliver an unforgettable experience for all Australians. This is just the beginning of a thrilling partnership with the Victoria Racing Club and Tabcorp that will take this event to new heights for years to come.”