One audacious gambler raked in close to £100,000 from several bets worth just £20 - and a couple of changes made with just 18 seconds to spare made them a mint
Sport Tom Sunderland Sports Writer 10:34, 01 Apr 2025
A couple of last-minute changes to a punter's bet slip was the difference between nothing and winning nearly £100,000. The gambler adjusted their selection with just 18 seconds to spare - a move that proved prophetic.
The horse racing enthusiast from St. Helens placed a £20 bet across four different races during the evening slot at Southwell on Friday, March 21. And it ended up being just about the perfect way one can imagine heading into any weekend.
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The bettor placed a Lucky 15 consisting of four £1 singles, six £1 doubles, four £1 trebles and one £1 four-fold, which paid out £21,503 in total. This was in addition to another £5 four-fold that made up the bulk of their winnings - precisely £75,075.
The Mirror reported this resulted in a total win of £96,578, a fitting reward considering they didn't back a single race favourite. But arguably more impressive than the figure itself is the foresight shown by the bettor to make a late adjustment that saved their day.
It has been confirmed the lucky individual initially had 8/1 Ocean Ridge to win in the 8pm before switching to 6/1 selection Toby Tops. This ended up being the decisive factor as Toby topped the lot, while Ocean Ridge disappointed in eighth place.
Moreover, the bet was almost declared null and void before another late adjustment was made. This occurred after the risk-taker noticed they had duplicated one selection and quickly crossed it out.
The bet was placed at a nail-biting four seconds past 7pm. The first race on the slip officially started at 22 seconds past the hour, highlighting just how close they came to missing out on the win of a lifetime.
The bet nearly fell apart in the first race when 2/1 favourite Legal Reform seemed to have won the Weekly Free Bets With BetMGM Extra Handicap. However, a last-minute surge saw 14/1 Dutch Kingdom narrowly beat him to the finish line by a short head.
"Our plucky punter truly has put the luck in Lucky 15 here. You'll do well to find a closer finish than Friday night's 7pm [race] at Southwell," said Ladbrokes spokesperson Alex Apati. "And while there was still a long way to go in the bet at the time, that short head victory for Dutch Kingdom ended up being the £95,000 difference maker for our customer.
"To land the Lucky 15 to the tune of £21,500 was one thing, but to back the 15,000/1 four-fold with a fiver on top - coupled with that early drama - means this has to go down as one of the best bets we've seen in recent years."
Legal Reform led from the start in that opening race and almost went post to post over seven furlongs. But it wasn't meant to be as underdog Dutch Kingdom - ridden by Liam Wright and trained by Darryll Holland - emerged victorious.
That was the longest-odds pick of the evening, but things became less nerve-wracking from there on - though the bettor in question may not concur. The victory was sealed by Stuart Williams-trained Sevensees by a head in the Free Bets With BetUK Bet Club Handicap, making the racing enthusiast nearly six figures wealthier as a result.
Full bet slip from Southwell, March 21
7pm - Dutch Kingdom - 14/1
7.30pm - King Of Fury - 12/1
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8pm - Toby Tops - 6/1
8.30pm - Sevensees - 10/1
