An Irish pensioner has banked nearly half a million pounds from bookmakers Paddy Power after placing an extraordinary Lucky 63 bet at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday. The 69-year-old punter turned a 50-cent each-way wager into a staggering £483,000 (€558,000) windfall as all six of his selections romped home.
The bet, a Lucky 63 comprising 63 different bets of equal value on six selections, cost just £54 (€63) to place. The series of wins began with massive outsider Apolon De Charnie claiming the opener, followed by Wilful and Dinoblue crossing the line first in the next two races.
Johnny's Jury then secured victory in the fourth at steep odds before Gaelic Warrior triumphed in the feature race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Barton Snow delivered the goods in the sixth race, edging out Its On The Line by a neck to complete the remarkable coup.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power said: 'What a sensational way to round off Cheltenham week – it's one of the greatest bets of all-time. When a huge outsider wins the opener the groan from punters can usually be heard all across the Cotswolds, but this customer would have been cheering to the rafters. I'll be popping around his house later for his lotto numbers this weekend. Seriously, well played, and enjoy the winnings.'
