Cheshire housewife batters the bookies with £4.52 bet with a winner disqualified

A single mum used nice names to win £246,238 from a £4.52 bet at glorious Goodwood…despite one of her selections being disqualified after crossing the winning line in front.

Bookmakers William Hill had a first past the post policy and paid out on Dark Red at 12-1, but the five-year-old grey gelding was placed second to the Queen’s horse Fabricate at 20-1 after a steward’s enquiry in the opening race of the prestigious Goodwood meeting.

And amazingly three of the mum-of-two’s other picks won. They were Thechildren’strust at 100-1, Breton Rock at 50-1 and El Astronaute at 33-1.

Her final selection Darkroom Angel led to just over a furlong out and would have landed her £1 million the bookmaker’s maximum payout, but the three-year-old filly ran out of puff and finished in 10th. Her bet included a 1p EW five-timer and if the fifth horse had won the accumulated odds would have paid her more than £3 million, but that would have been capped by the maximum payout rule.

The Cheshire housewife, who is in her 30s, plans to use her winnings to buy a new house for her and the children as the win came as she was searching for a new rental home in Ellesmere Port, Wirral.

William Hill’s first past the post policy meant her 5p ew four-timer came in, along with extra doubles and trebles and the policy landed the lady £201,330 that would have been lost with the disqualification at many other bookmakers.

The woman also took 80-1 on Thechildren’stust, but William Hill had a best odds guaranteed policy and with the odds drifting to 100-1 that meant the lucky lady landed a whopping £47,869 extra.

Her bet in full was 10 x 10p each way doubles, 10 x 10p each way trebles, 5 x 5p each way four folds and a 1p EW fivefold for a total stake of £4.52.

Her selections were:

1.50 Goodwood Dark Red price taken 12-1 (first past the post then placing reversed, but William Hill paid as winner)
3.00 Goodwood Breton Rock price taken 50-1 WON
4.10 Goodwood Thechildren'strust 100-1* WON (80-1 when she placed the bet, but best odds guaranteed)
4.45 Goodwood El Astronaute price taken 33-1 WON
5.15 Goodwood Darkroom Angel price taken 16-1 10th

Winnings £246,238.73

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: "Some of our racing traders have been in the game for 40 years and none of them can remember such an astonishing bet that so nearly cost us a million.

‘A few were almost having heart attacks watching the final race, but the punter inside all of us was cheering on the lady’s last selection and it was in front for a long way.

‘But I am not sure if the boss would approve of that. It was every punter’s bet of a lifetime – winning a fortune for less than a fiver.

‘A few quid outlay and the lady has a new house – talk about finding your dream home.’

Expert Eye, in the Vintage Stakes, was the only winning favourite on the card on day one of the five day meeting, with hot favourite Big Orange being turned over by 6-1 shot Stradivarius, and the final race falling to 15-2 chance Shenanigans.

Britain’s most successful female gambler ever also came from leafy Cheshire. Agnes Haddock was in her 40s when she landed £688,000 with a £2 bet on the popular ITV Saturday bet the Tote Scoop6.

Agnes, of Northwich, who set up an online syndicate www.scoop6superclub.com to help others win and has landed further fortunes with her club in recent years, said: ‘It’s brilliant when girl punting power produces the goods. Well done to this woman – let’s hope lots of other ladies win big at Glorious Goodwood.

‘My six picks on that tremendous day 10 years ago were all based on nice names – it’s great when girls are on top. We all love battering the bookies.’