ONE shrewd racing punter started 2021 with a bang after landing a massive £60,000 jackpot.
The bettor successfully picked five straight winners at Musselburgh – including one 22-1 longshot.
And two of the picks won in dramatic style when their victories had to be confirmed via a photo finish.
Incredibly, the wins came in five straight races over the space of two hours from 1.20pm, meaning they won £30,000 an hour.
The punter, from Farnborough in Hampshire, staked a total of £62 in a big 50p each-way Lucky 31.
A Lucky 31 is made up of five selections taking part in different events.
They combine to make 31 bets in all.
The first one past the post was Navajo Pass who won at 8-1 in the 1.20 before 22-1 outsider Blakeney Point upset the odds to win the next race.
Eagle Ridge won by a nose in the 2.30 at odds of 10-3 before 13-2 Romain De Senam romped home in the 3.05.
The final winner was Bullion Boss in the 3.35 who overcame odds of 10-1 to land the punter the enormous windfall.
All in all it paid £59,971 from a £62 stake.
Coral’s John Hill said: “What a fantastic start to the New Year for our customer who had an afternoon they will never forget.
“Winners were not easy to find at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, but our punter from Farnborough had no trouble.
“Two of the selections in the bet were involved in photo finishes, with the outcome going the way of the punter by the narrowest of margins.”
This big payout comes hot on the heels of a number of punters celebrating a £173,000 win after a 1,000-1 no-hoper surged home.
Johnnys Girl had already been the subject of a huge gamble before the off in the 1.05 at Limerick.
Norman Lee’s eight-year-old had been slashed from 33-1 to 11-1 as punters poured on for the 2m 6½f race over fences.
But they were left fearing the worst after seeing her detached from the rest of the runners five flights from home.
Punters can bet mid-race with Betfair and, at that point, Johnnys Girl’s odds had plummeted to a massive 1000-1.
It was no surprise given strong travelling 3-1 favourite Kristian Goingwel looked certain to cruise through.
But some shrewd observers noticed Johnnys Girl’s massive price and decided that was the perfect time to strike.
A total of £173 was matched at 1000-1 – meaning the jackpot was landed when she coasted over in first.
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