A Cork-born stable lad has won £1 million on an accumulator bet based on five winners from the Cheltenham Festival this week. The unnamed employee of trainer Nicky Henderson placed a £50 wager on Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig, Bobs Worth, Finian's Rainbow and Riverside Theatre in late 2011.
“I still cannot believe it, even this morning it is still sinking in. I haven't even thought about the money yet. It was just pure luck,” Murphy told Newbury Today. “I just picked the five best horses and hoped for a lot of luck, I didn't think much about it.”
Henderson, who set a record for the most winners in Cheltenham history with 45, expressed delight for his employee. “It's absolutely wonderful, he's such a lovely lad,” said Henderson. “I wish I'd known about it - I wouldn't have minded making a million quid.” He noted that the chance of all five horses making it to the festival and winning was extremely long odds.
Murphy, who rides out Finian's Rainbow daily, considers the horse special to him. Actor James Nesbitt’s Riverside Theatre completed the accumulator when it won the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. Bet365’s Pat Cooney described the day as “horrible” for bookmakers, losing on every race.
This is not the first time a member of Henderson’s yard has struck it rich. In 2001, stable lass Kathleen Young won £1m on the National Lottery. Murphy’s win follows another large payout at the festival, with owner Phil Williams collecting £900,000 on Son Of Flicka.
