A punter has won a staggering £580,000 at Cheltenham Festival after putting on one hell of a ballsy bet.
Energumene was the 6-5 favourite in the Cheltenham Chase yesterday (Wednesday 15 March), and one punter backed them with a massive £400,000 stake.
Presumably that was the equivalent of £100 or something for an ordinary person, but still, that is one well of a wedge to stick on a horse race.
However, Energumene and jockey Paul Townend made the race as pain-free as possible for the big time gambler, romping home to a dominant victory and securing a £180,000 profit for the punter.
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It's not been confirmed who the big winner was, however, there's been speculation that the backer is the horse's owner, Tony Bloom, renowned gambler and owner of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Speaking to ITV Racing after Energumene's win, he was asked if he'd backed the horse.
"We were really confident going in, he's run a tremendous race," the 52-year-old said.
"He looked the top horse all the way around so we were delighted, absolutely delighted. I had a few quid on, so we're quids in."
Suffice to say, Tony's definition of a 'few quid' is a tad warped.
He continued: "We were confident anyway but obviously the rain helps the horse – had it been good ground we would have been a lot less confident. The rain in the last couple of hours has been a big boon.
"He didn't run to his best in the Clarence House Chase, but he has really shown his class today.
"I think maybe a bit of getting used to them (white fences) after one go over them and he was maybe not at his best a couple of months ago, but he was certainly at his best today."
But while Tony and whoever won the £580,000 (if it wasn't him) were delighted to see Energumene charged to victory, it made for painful viewing for Star Sports.
The bookies paid out £83,000 to one punter on Tuesday (14 March) after accepting a £230,000 bet on Constitution Hill to win the Champion Hurdle, and that big payout was compounded by the massive £580,000 payout yesterday.
According to the Racing Post, Star Sports head of trading Dave Jolly said: "We're here to lay big bets and on this occasion it has won.
"He won well and is a great horse and there are no hard feelings. We're a bit sore at the moment but we'll keep going.
"It's painful for the bookmakers. At Cheltenham, you've got the best taking on the best and they're performing well but we've got two more days to go."
Jake Massey