Cheltenham punter lands £55,000 bet despite only backing one winner
It's horse racing season, and you've probably seen a selection of outlandish bets make their way onto your timelines, with a shortage of winners.
People seemed to have treated themselves to a cheeky punt or two this week, with Cheltenham Festival taking place from Tuesday (11 March) to Friday (14 March).
It's a big deal for Brits, with some even choosing to jet over to Spain to avoid the steep prices of drinks at the event.
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Many hedged their bets on fan-favourite horse Majborough and were let down after a mistake cost people up and down the country a pretty penny.
However, one of the lucky winners was a man named Tom, who walked away with £55,000 in his pockets after making a small bet of just £5 on one winner.
The Tote bookies were left shell-shocked after the bettor took part in their popular Placebot bet.
His bet included Jango Baie, who put in a performance to remember, going from last-to-first in the Arkle.
The horse's jockey, Nico de Boinville, said he had given up as they hit 300-1 on the in-running markets.
But after favourite Majborough's mistake and L'Eau Du Sud running low on steam, Jango Baie made the improbably comeback to take the trophy home.
Sharing a photo of a till message reading 'Insufficient funds to pay out. Please contact your manager', Tote Racing wrote on X: "We’ve been cleaned out at @CheltenhamRaces."
The festival was not short of other shocks either, as Burdett Road in the Champion Hurdle, who had odds of 66-1, came in second behind winner Golden Ace, who had odds of 25-1 to win.
Favourites Constitution Hill and State Man would fall in the race, leaving many bettors furious.
Tom's bet was part of the Placepot, a bet where you pick a horse to finish in the places in the first six races.
You don't have to win either, and if the favourites go crashing out, the dividend from the pool money increases significantly.
If you're wondering how Tom made a near £55k profit, putting a quid in the Placepot on day one of Cheltenham would have won you £11,050.70 with the right pick.
Please gamble responsibly. For help, support and advice about problem gambling, contact the National Gambling Helpline anytime on 0808 8020 133.
Joshua Nair