A SHREWD punter can turn a fiver into £9,000 – but faces an agonising wait to see if the gamble will come off.
The bettor needs just one horse to win to land the giant Cheltenham Festival windfall.
And that’s not all – he needs one horse to win another race to scoop just under £5,500 from a tenner.
In all the punter will be celebrating to the tune of almost £15,000 from £15 should the two Cheltenham runners pass the post first.
It’s a position every punter dreams of being in.
But this bettor’s method is different to most, after he combined his Cheltenham Festival selections with two runners at Lingfield and one at Wetherby.
The punter, who wished to remain anonymous, has already landed 10-1, 13-2 and 5-1 winners.
He needs current Champion Bumper favourite American Mike to win to land £9,281.25 from a fiver and see his 1,855-1 bet come in.
American Mike, trained by Gordon Elliott, is the final leg of a four-fold that includes 10-1 Agent Of Fortune, 13-2 Guetapan Collonges and 5-1 Strong Power.
Those three horses all won their respective races on January 7.
The punter also put those horses in a four-fold with Dunboyne, who is now as short as 8-1 to win the Pertemps.
The savvy bettor backed Dunboyne at double that price – 16-1.
His £5,466.56 payout is smaller on that bet because he backed the first three horses to finish in the places, not to win.
American Mike runs on the Wednesday of Cheltenham – March 16 – and Dunboyne the Thursday.
It means the bettor now must hold his breath and count down the days to when his bets win or lose.
Not that cashing out would be an option, even if he could.
The punter told Sun Racing: “I have been gambling for three years and I always try to leave myself a good bet for Cheltenham.
“It’s the best part of the year for racing and the most exciting.
“I picked my horses by looking at their pace ratings, the jockey, trainer form and ground conditions.
“I’ve been very successful with front runners on soft ground.
“I’m really excited to watch American Mike. I have been a big fan of his since his first run. He’s definitely a future star.”
RISKY STRATEGY CAN PROVE REWARDING
Should both horses win then the punter said he’d spend the dosh on saving for another house of their own and treating loved ones.
Ante post punting can prove incredibly worthwhile – or disastrous.
Punters were left heartbroken after even money Arkle favourite Ferny Hollow was ruled out of the Festival due to injury last week.
Bettors had put the horse in loads of singles, doubles, trebles and more.
By betting ante post, punters can back a horse at odds way higher than what they go off at on the day.
But the danger is that the horse doesn’t run, goes in another race or skips Cheltenham altogether.
Those that work out can leave the punter in a nice position.
Elliott Forsey is dreaming of a £167,000 payout from his £4.40 yankee his friends told him he was mad to place.
And at last year’s Festival, Paul Dean scooped £250,000 from a fiver despite one of his picks falling.
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
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