Dreams Come True: Dollar Bet Nabs $2.1m

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday February 25, 2008

Andrew Alderson in London

IT started with a horse called Isn't That Lucky and ended with one called A Dream Come True - a run of eight winners that turned a 50-pence ($1.06) stake into Britain's first million-pound betting-shop pay-out.

An unnamed small-time gambler, believed to be in his sixties, backed eight horses to win races in a multiple bet called an accumulator at combined odds of nearly 2,800,000-1. If just one had lost, he would not have received a penny.

The man is a regular punter at one of William Hill's betting shops in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. He struck his bet on Friday but did not find out about his giant win until he went to place more small bets on Saturday.

The punter will collect exactly #1 million in winnings, William Hill's maximum pay-out on horse racing, which it says has never been reached in a betting shop before.

David Hood, a spokesman for William Hill, said: "It is a staggering bet, and earns him a place in history as the world's first-betting shop millionaire."

The man learnt of his winnings when he walked into a second William Hill shop on Saturday to place some more bets, he then asked the staff to check his earlier ticket. When they told him he had won #1 million, "he went visibly pale before saying that he would have to go and tell his wife," another company spokesman said.

Telegraph, London

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Stake: 50p. Horse: Isn't That Lucky. Result: First at 8-1. Win: #4.50

Stake: #4.50. Horse: Mutamarres. Result: First at 7-2. Win : #20.25.

Stake: #20.25. Horse: Mutasallil. Result: First at 11-2. Win: #131.62.

Stake: #131.62. Horse: Racer Forever. Result: First at 4-1. Win: #658.12

Stake: #658.12. Horse: Ede's. Result: First at 10-1. Win: #7239.37

Stake: #7239.37. Horse: Rio L'Oren. Result: First at 15-2. Win: #61,534.68.

Stake: #61,534.68. Horse: Guadaloup. Result: First at 11-2. Win: #399,975.47.

Stake: #399,975.47. Horse: A Dream Come True. Result: First at 5-2. Final total (including 50p stake): #1,399,914.14

Bookmaker's max pay-out: #1 million

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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