A punter has won a life-changing sum of money on the Cheltenham Festival - off a bet of just £5.
Day one of the Festival took place on Tuesday, with the Paul Townend-ridden Kopek Des Bordes to win the opening Michael O'Sullivan Supreme.
Townend would record two winners for the day by riding Lossiemouth to success in the 15:20 Mares' Hurdle, though heavy favourite Constitution Hill failed to win the Champion Hurdle after falling.
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Bets totalling over £500 million per year are now placed on the Festival, with race-goers up and down the country descending on Cheltenham for four days of action.
And one punter struck gold on day one in 2025.
He won a total of £55,253.50 off a stake of £5, having placed it on the Tote's placepot.
Fans must pick at least one horse to place in each of the day's six televised races in order to win a share of the pot.
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Winnings depend on the size of the pool which is shared out with all winners, with winnings paid out to a £1 stake, as well as how many people win.
The punter took his winning slip to an on-course kiosk once the day's racing had concluded - but couldn't claim it straight away as the till, unsurprisingly, didn't have enough funds to pay out.
Tote Racing's Twitter account posted a photo of the message alongside the caption: "We've been cleaned out at Cheltenham Races."
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As it happened, only one of the punter's six predictions actually won their race.
Jango Baie, ridden by Nico de Boinville and trained by Nicky Henderson, won the 14:00 Arkle Novices' Chase.
His biggest punt was the 22/1 Take No Chances, which Harry Skelton rode to a third-placed finish in the 15:20 Mares' Hurdle.
The entire bet rested on the 17/2 shot Hot Fuss in the 16:40 Handicap Hurdle, which most bookmakers paid out for four places.
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It will have been an agonising race for the punter, with Hot Fuss coming home in fourth place out of 22 runners to ensure the bet won.
Topics: Horse Racing
Ryan Smart