Whats the biggest gamble you have seen and did it win ?

My mate backed that Balding 2yo newcomer South Seas a year or two ago, can't remember it exactly but think he took 12s and it went off at 7/4 or something like that, it hacked up

Folkestone
Prescott horse
Opened 2/5 won 2/9
Never seen as many people running round with wads of cash
Free cash suppose

Papillon in 2000 Grand National 33/1 into 10/1 think it was due to Racing Post having it as headline tip.
Might even have been Pricewise cant remember-  but that must have been a bad result for bookies
even with all the usual losing bets.

Fujiyama Crest - Last leg of Frankies Magnificent 7 - 10s into 2s - sking the bookies.

I remember the late john joyce  telling me one day the worst  day he ever had was when a horse called whemby won on the Friday evening of the plate meeting many many years ago.john mason from redmarshall trained it, a few of the old timers on here will remember the owners.
have a good evening
regards
Ronnie.

fuji was a false gamble that succeeded.

Exponential in August 2004

Prob the best of Veitch's lot

willie knows

fujiyama

after you Sir Frankie


wtch the video disgrace

top gamble 2m  chaser about 18 hands  big bugger !

Winnie The Witch - a million years ago long before the invention of proper mobile phones I may add - put it this way everyone in Cambridge knew it was gona win and got stuck into it at Leicester in a maiden hurdle - local indie had two shops (that I knew of) - Peter Dixons if I recall and he was cleaned out that day - regards to big nose John and Barry behind the counter who also introduced me to Peterborough dogs if they are on here now cos they will say its all bollix but we know different lol - 40 min ride up the motorway - if they look in on here - gr8 days ps winnie went off 33s that day and half of Tyneside backed it as well and it won half the track

Not the biggest punt in my life but by far the most enjoyable and memorable. 20/1 in the morning down to 8/1 at the off, I didn't go home for 2 days afterwards and lost my voice screaming him home on the terraces bang opposite Tony Morris's joint.
1990 Greyhound Derby - Slippy Blue doing the business. Oi Oi my cocker! I'll never forget that night as long as I live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfrNW2zylXk

27 yrs ago

slippyblue

huge crowd

spanish streak at stratford on the thursday before the festival in 1987 a proper job done.

1997 epsom derby ENTREPRENEUR , odds on in places , 7/4 offered by john batten bookmaker , ticket had LUCAN on it , thousands put on the hasrse ...bookie never seen again

Elan ridden by David Nicholson and trained by John Sutcliffe winning the 1965 Schweppes Hurdle. Probably one of the biggest punting races there was at that time it seemed that the whole world and his wife backed him.

From a piece written by Richard Dunwoody.

A few years ago, my old boss, the late David Nicholson, recounted a classic betting coup in the race in 1965.

He said that John Sutcliffe ran Elan five times in handicaps in the run-up to the Schweppes with a different jockey on board each time, and the horse was never closer than fourth.

The 'Duke' said: "John rang my father two weeks before the race to ask if I could ride, and shrewdly suggested that he recommend an ante-post bet on Elan to the senior steward, General Sir Randle Fielden, who was one of our owners, on the ground that Elan would be wearing blinkers for the first time.

"We won, beating Rosyth by a length and a half. Of course there was an inquiry, but John had his answers ready before the stewards thought of the questions - first-time blinkers, the new jockey and so on. It was a very clever bit of training."

My friend had £4,000 on a 9/4 shot and i was screaming  and jumping about more than he was. When it won he told me that winner put him £50 up on the day

Was at Ascot saw a guy have 10 large ew 13/2 cash tender heart j.mercer/j.sutcliffe .It won

Ronnie rails
used to do my punting with john joyce on the dogs at Cleveland park ,even trousering my money on a weekly basis couldn't but a smile on his face,

Unsinkable boxer was pretty special at Cheltenham the whole racecourse had him backed

spanish streak was 88 not 87 ridden by dermot browne .

Was interested to see this thread as I am currently reading " The Sure Thing " which is about Barney Curley's coup on Yellow Sam in 1975 at Bellewstown. I'm only about a third of the way through but really enjoying it ! I love the bit where BC arranged to tie up the only public telephone on the course for 30 minutes prior to the off to prevent any money getting back ! A mate of his acted out a scenario that he was onto a hospital where his aunt was at deaths door - " Oh dear I think she's about to die oh no wait I think she's back again oh wait hold on etc. etc. ".... Brilliant ! Apparently after expenses he cleared the equivalent of two and a half million in today's money !! Was also interested to see that amateur jockey's Willie Mullins and Ted Walsh were riding in the race finishing third and sixth.

Mr Donovan 2mile 5furlong novice hurdle Cheltenham in the 80s , may have been called Sun Alliance Hurdle back then. Owned by JP.

Rusty Tears also at Cheltenham in that era.

but for that horse mr conbustable jp might not of reached the level he has as an owner.

tom ryan rode him

And john joe rode the favourite who surprisingly couldn’t walk.

I read that book earlier this year, Eugene. I enjoyed it because I knew very little about the story.

And Eddie O'Grady trained Mr Donovan,

Back in the 80s there was a false gamble on a jumper called Amarach. My memory is poor but I think it was trained by Mrs Dickinson , Jonjo was booked to ride but I am not sure if he actually got the leg up. 16/1 down to as low as 5/2 . The horse was laid for fortunes "up east " I was told.
I got involved with one given to me by two household names , one into soft porn and the other into thoroughbreds. 50/1 into 13/2 and finished tailed off . The filly did win races later on but I have rarely backed a filly/mare since.
Indian Ridge at Ascot was a rare success . My old mate Vic shifted 10 long uns the morning of the race and I moved some too.

Backed heartache at 20/1 for queen mary think sp was 5/1,just one a can remember this season..

I think J.P had one at Newbury that someone had £500,000 it was around 2/1 I thought this is to short as their was loads of runners and laid it yep it won

I know someone had the same bet of 500 large on Frankle when it won the Gns think the bet was laid at evens. I thought at the time in the winter before the race this horse is short,I did not lay it this time.

I remember another one Chief Singer at Royal Ascot first time on a racecourse was backed to win 2,000gn at 100/1 before the race and at 20/1 to win the race.

It won easy.

Funny I backed it to win the Gns on the day of the race EW at a big price came second agggggggggggg would have won a nice few shillings if it had of won.

1/2 £mill 2/1

can't need the money

the pain of losing 500k  out ways this bet

Seaside the jp horse at Newbury had an unpronounceable name it won the mares race on the Saturday at the spring meeting ,chief singer won the Coventry stakes at royal ascot on his debut you were bang unlucky with your Guineas bet he came up against on of the best Guineas winners ever in el gran senor.

An Muire Na Muice

Very long time ago at Cheltenham. I remember a handicap hurdle at the end of a card (I was on course at the time) Everyone seemed to know that a horse trained by Vernon Cross (a renowned gambling yard) would win and it was all over the racecourse. It went from 33/1 in the morning to start odds on. Ridden by a 7lb claimer called Hicks, it led from the start and all of the other jockeys seemed to be in on it as nobody chased after him. He was still well clear at the last when the horse overjumped and the rider slid to the ground. What was so funny was to watch the other riders looking at each other but Fred Winter on a relative outsider decided he was not under orders to lose the race and shot past the rest to win. Not sure if the kid was just unlucky or was "got at" by the bookmakers who must have seen a big payout coming. I know this is true because Jeff King was riding in the race and he confirmed to me years later that it was a set up that all of the riders were aware of.

Well done fidway

Hi Foxy,the Newbury horse was Derrick Smith's,the punter asked Freddie for a 2 million to 1,Freddie replied "I sell water not drugs,you've got 400/200k",won with its head in his chest at 5/4.

Just remembered the Cheltenham horse was called Icy Wonder. Amazing what 73 year old brain cells retain.

hello ribero

the legend has it he said i have a water factory not a bomb factory.

Of course unless another Freddie appears the on course gamble is a thing of the past unfortunately,going out in a bit but can remember plenty of gambles in the north.
Ronnie refers to Whenby which ran in the colours of a Newcastle fruiterer called Billy Henderson,he had a share in a horse called Prolific Major which they landed a touch in a Haydock seller trained by Keith Stone,they made Henderson stay in the car until the money was on because he was well known for being unable to keep stum!
Happy new year Foxy,i'm off to Cheltenham tomorrow,may see you?

jimnast 30 Dec 17 06:35 Joined: 03 Jan 01 | Topic/replies: 5,509 | Blogger: jimnast's blog
spanish streak at stratford on the thursday before the festival in 1987 a proper job done.


... Bob Brazington! ... My God, there was a shrewdie ... one of the shrewdest of the shrewd - bred 'em and then trained 'em. Brown colours with orange sleeves.

Jimsintime was a right touch from that yard in a 24-runner novices' hurdle at Warwick - Feb. 1986. SP 12/1 (tchd 33/1). It had been given a couple of practice runs in big-field Cheltenham novices' hurdles earlier that winter, finishing 8th both times. It was so blatant that even Chaseform spotted it ("nvr nrr" and "mstke & lost pl 3 out: r.o.wl flat"). Yet it touched 33s when dropped in class at Warwick!

Those were the days ... If Betfair had been around at that time, I doubt whether it would have even touched 10.0

screaming from beneaththewaves    Joined: 30 Jan 05
Replies: 10396 31 Dec 17 20:21 


Those were the days ... If Betfair had been around at that time, I doubt whether it would have even touched 10.0



Are no gambles landed anymore then, screaming?

Great Things at Leicester on Boxing Day 1978 was supposed to have netted Albert Davison a quarter of a million.

His daughter, Zoe, described it to the Post after Albert died:

It was a conditional riders' selling hurdle and Dad had two in it. Richard Rowe rode Great Things, who was a 33-1 chance, and they hammered the other horse, who wasn't off, of course. Great Things won and Dad had people backing him all over Ireland. He's reputed to have won a six-figure sum, which was a lot of money in those days, and the bookmakers weren't very happy about it, but Mum and me never saw any of it and I don't know what he did with his winnings."

Surely the biggest bet has to be Harry Findlay having a million pound bet on here on his dog in the Derby heats .
Only 350k matched,but the bet was up here all day.

Are no gambles landed anymore then, screaming?

Not ones like that - where a member of the general public willing to pay for the weekly Form Book could have spotted it, worked it out and got 33//1 with bookmakers betting to their opinions (who presumably hadn't done the work).

I remember watching that market RothmanMike but I didn't get involved. The greyhound was called Escholido and he won easily.

Slippy,he went down to Wimbledon that night to bet it with Morris.Asked for £55000/40000, and was layed £16500/10000 if memory serves.
Yes it was in T6 and won.The only danger was in T1 on a sloppy track.No flies on Harry.

SO Harry Findlay asked for 11/8 and was laid a price that doesn't exist, but a bit bigger than 13/8 !! Lol ... was father Xmas there also and some aliens ?

8/11 was on offer at the track.
16500 to win 12000 was struck (not 10000),apologies.

Hello sparrow


I think screaming is refuring to the fact they got the horse returned 66/1 bang unlucky not to get it returned 100 /1 as that was its price shortly before the off but a few racegoers back it in ,if betfair was around people who should no better wouldn’t be able to help themselves and the horse would have returned much shorter ,and whilst touches still clearly take place the old fashioned sp jobs are finished.

The bonus ball at Southwell one of mr curlers

33/1 into 7/2 and won on the snaff

Foxy, I know what screaming was getting at but I cannot accept that betfair can be blamed for the demise of all betting markets. It all started with the bookmakers introducing early morning markets as a warning system for themselves.

the biggest ever gamble in the history of all sports was by our old friend betfair itself.When a technical director decided to change the platform of the old exchange.Sad to say the gamble failed resulting in the company losing billions of pounds and ending up merging with another gambling company.
It was the biggest ever gamble to have failed in the history of all sports.i will not mention the guys name but it is already in every  sports quiz that takes place and i guess we all know this most famous person.and the losses still pile up.

I nearly forgot I did back the Wragg horse at Royal Ascot at 40/1 and had some more on at a lesser price all E.W only because I thought it had a good chance to be in the frame.

Returned 16/1 If I remember right.

sparrow 01 Jan 18 19:57 Joined: 20 Jul 02 | Topic/replies: 19,406 | Blogger: sparrow's blog
Foxy, I know what screaming was getting at but I cannot accept that betfair can be blamed for the demise of all betting markets. It all started with the bookmakers introducing early morning markets as a warning system for themselves.

No arguments with that.

But the bookmakers offering those early prices still had to use an element of their own judgment as to whether the money they took was hot, whether it would continue, and at what level it might stabilize. They could shorten a horse, and lengthen others to balance the book, only to find the money switching to another horse.

None of that seems an issue now. Horses simply find their price for pennies on here. There's just no point in holding off having £2 at 70.0 in the hope have getting a grand on at that price 2 minutes before the off.

This is not any kind of "The Game's Finished"/"It Can't Be Done Any More" rant. Just a reflection of the fact that a Spanish Streak/Great Things kind of gamble can't happen any more, with fortunes being won at SPs of 66/1 or 33/1. A couple of quid at 70.0 or 36.0 maybe, but the rest at an SP of 10/1, sir.

Here's an example of what was once possible:

Sydney Barry was a NZ-bred trained by Bob Buckler. It started off in summer 1992 by leading in novices' hdles under Mr Chris Bonner(7). The horse clearly had speed, but no chance at the weights or was racing on soft ground or trips he didn't stay. One day at Exeter he was actually still in the lead 2 out over 2m 3f, yet by the last he'd simply been pulled up. This was back in days before meetings like this were televised. There weren't even on-course replays. You had to get high up in the stands with a pair of bins to see these things.

Next time out was 2m 1f on good ground at Hereford carrying 9-7 and 8lb out of the handicap. It was the last race, some bookies had gone home, none were betting each way. Pipe and Nicholls had the joint favs to make the market. I had £50 each way at SP in the Tote Credit shop. The only other person at the track who I knew had taken note of what had been going on with this horse was Bearded Alan. We agreed to keep it as an SP job and not back it in the Ring. Eddie Fremantle was still working at the Life back then, so the one other punter who would have backed the horse was composing the next day's Man On The Spot, rather than monitoring the shows from Hereford.

Sydney Barry made every yard at an SP of 100/1.

The crucial point of this story is that I was told the next day that Buckler himself had taken 25/1. I can't imagine any way now that a trainer could wait until a horse was in the correct race to back his horse, take 26.0, and watch it make all at 101.0. And furthermore that punters that like Alan and I, armed only with the evidence of our eyes, could have taken advantage of that 100/1. (Each way too!)

another good gamble kept very quiet was donnas darling at kelso in feb 88, just looking back at the card that friday afternoon there were well known winners like nohalmdon,flying ace,bluff knoll,and earls brig plus a future grand national winner little polveir 3rd in earls brigs race.

Screaming........I think we would both agree that a combination of these early markets by betfair and the bookmakers be it morning or night before and everything being televised have contributed to the present situation. Quite a touch at 100/1 though!!

he never even got a thrill sparrow the horse won 15 lengths.

Barton.... on debut.

Heard that this was a nightmare at home but was very talented and was worth a big bet on debut.  In those days, it was all about shop betting for me and I told everyone at work to back it (even those that hated betting).  I had £100 win and everyone else chipped in their fivers and tenners and I sent a guy out to punt it after he finished work at 2pm.  We had the commentary on the old Hills race commentary line (50p a minute) and we heard it won doing handstands at 4s.  Everyone in the office was in partying mood until I heard it had been thrown out by the stewards.  I'm sure it was a Friday afternoon and we all went home for the weekend dejected.  Monday morning, guy arrives with £1000 cash, pays me £500 and pays all the others £25, £50 etc.. depending on what they had on.  Wherever he backed it, it was first past the post and we got paid out.  Jubilation to despair to jubilation again. 


Suny Bay in the Hennessy.

Amazed to have a look at this and realise it was 20 years ago.  We were on the Lambourn gallops on the Saturday morning, to look at an unraced bumper horse.  It was a pig, foaming at the mouth and they wanted 8k for it, not for me.  But on the gallops we met a guy watching on.. "you fancy anything today pal" ? .. "Yeah, Suny Bay in the Hennessy.  Bradley has the table booked already for the party tonight, it won't get beat".  We arrived on course to meet Eddie Callaghan who we knew and punted his horse Go-Informal of Malcolm Jeffersons at 3's.  £200 on that between 4 of us at 3/1 and we had the £600 winnings on Suny Bay at 5/2.  It trotted round, jumped for fun and beat Barton Bank by a distance.  The 5 hour journey home was one of the best as we got paid out in fifty pound notes and I've never seen so many !!

Losers....

Direct Route - Queen Mother Chase.

We knew the owner and followed this throughout it's career.  When Norman Williamson gave it a pull two out in the Tingle Creek when it hit the front too early you knew this was a seriously good horse and Williamson knew how to ride it.  It won easily that day and I got hammered on Stella Artois for the remainder of the afternoon and then bought the top ten albums from HMV with some of the winnings cause I was that p*ssed.  Queen Mother the season after and at 6's it was time for another good bet on it.  Williamson hit the front 100 yards out but Edredon Bleu battled to the line in one of the best finishes in memory.  I did my dough that day as it was close but no cigar and the top ten albums went to the car boot at the weekend and sold for a fraction of the price to make sure I had money in my pocket for that week !!

Dato Star....

My favorite horse... beat Collier Bay by 20 lengths in the Champion Hurdle trial at the end of January.  And the winnings paid for the trip to Cheltenham 6 weeks later.  First time I had been there and the atmosphere was amazing.  I had a good bet each way in the lead up to the meeting and had to have more on course.  Eddie had the ride and we met him before the race, he was nervous as Dato Star was all over the press but excited at what could lay ahead.  Dato jumped the 4th hurdle like a fence and went down on his belly losing all chance.  I lost a fortune !!  This was the first time Istabraq took control of the Champion Hurdle and I went to the winners enclosure dejected at the loss as all the Irish were shouting and screaming the place down.  I could have cried !!  I wanted to back Unsinkable Boxer in the last to get my money back but the angel on my shoulder won over the devil... The devil said "CHASE CHASE CHASE YOUR MONEY BACK!!".  The angel said, "Go home, thou shouldn't chase thy money.  There is always tomorrow".  We left and drove to Cheltenham to get some food before the long drive back home.  Walked into the fish and chip shop and the small TV screen showed the racing.. "AND UNSINKABLE BOXER JUMPS THE LAST WELL CLEAR".  My heart sank.  That 6 hour journey home was well and truly the worst ever and a stark contrast to the drive home from Newbury after Suny Bay had won !!

Dato remained my favorite and when it battered French Holly in the Fighting Fifth in November it was back to Cheltenham in December to win the Xmas money !!  He looked to be going great before it fell in a race that Relkeel won and then French Holly came back and beat it over Xmas.  That wasn't a good Xmas at all !

Great stuff, Wildcat. Loved reading all the personal memories and experiences around those gambles.

What a horse French Holly was. Freakishly huge, smashing through every hurdle, with A Thornton hanging on for dear life.

Imagine what a chaser he could have been, if he'd gone on to learn to respect the fences.

There Is No Doubt was a fun one with a hint of intrigue. From memory it was matched triple figures in early trading on the exchange, and was tickled in all day but still managed to open at 8/1 on course. The floodgates opened and it was smashed in to 2/1 from the opening show, eventually returning sp 5/2f. It was a long time ago, I seem to recall that a) the opening show was extremely delayed, and b) it opened on course bigger than bf. The exchange and on course markets had slightly different dynamics back then. 
On the face of it these were inauspicious connections for a bumper debutant, leading to the big prices but it transpired that there was a strong connection between the horse and pond house.

The Jockey Club confirmed yesterday that no action will be taken in relation to the controversial success of There Is No Doubt in an Exeter bumper last December.
The Club reached a decision "about two weeks ago" that no rules had been broken and no charges would be brought. No formal announcement was made, despite the publicity the case has attracted.
An investigation had been opened soon after the race, when it became clear that the horse, trained by Dorset permit-holder Helen Bridges, had been the subject of a spectacular gamble.
It transpired that the horse was sold to Bridges 23 days before the race by the Devon-based champion trainer Martin Pipe, whose son David became engaged to Bridges' daughter Lucy in February.
Bridges changed the horse's name from Le Saadien to There Is No Doubt before sending him out for his racecourse debut in the Exeter contest. From an opening 8-1, he was backed down to 5-2 favourite and won by a length from Joke Club.
A Sunday newspaper subsequently reported that Pipe's principal owner David Johnson had backed There Is No Doubt, winning £96,000. Johnson owned Oasis Banus, sent off at 4-1 in the same race. Oasis Banus unseated jockey Jamie Moore at the start.
There was a tragic end to the story when Bridges was unfortunately killed in a fall on the gallops in April.

unfortunate end for the horse as well when he finally made his debut for pipe 2 years later he was killed at hereford.

Yep a sad end for the horse, I see his last NHF race was in the Champion bumper no less. Interesting that the story made the mainstream media.

"The bonus ball"

yes he ran in missed thats bumper

Richard Haigh

I remember being in my local bookies , 80's/90's when the blower gave the prices and the board marker used a pen to write the prices and change them when needed . There was a horse , trained by Jenny Pitman , called Bed and Breakfast ( or similar ). It opened at 20/1 and was then backed down , through all the rates , to be sent off 6/4 favourite . It won . I'm writing all of this purely on memory . No doubt some forum members will correct this post if it is wayward , and the mists of time are indeed clouding my memories .

Could it be this thread, Donegalprince?

For Donegalprince.

Sparrow, this has been an entertaining read but it wasn't the one I was thinking of. Iwas a litany of recollections of various punters who used to gather for the West Country circuit in August or so. D & E , Newton and Taunton. Recalled punts and meeting in the local pubs b4 racing etc. Thank you anyway as this has been fun.

As long as you enjoyed it, Donegal.

Could talk about the old days all day long, here is one for you old timers even older than me can anybody remember a horse called dig deep trained by the late Bob Gray and ridden by S Charlton with form something like 0fpufpu starting fav  and cantering in.

Happy days very sad  to say i did not keep hold of it.

Ronnie.

Not really a gamble, as such, but still something that sticks in my mind and which was brought back into focus on Tuesday.

I go down to Huntingdon from Yorkshire two, maximum three, times a year and went there yesterday.

Each time I go I am vividly reminded of when I went there on February 22nd 1988. I was still in my native London back then and so a quick bash up the M11 etc was often in order. But on that Tuesday afternoon so long ago, Kribensis won the Chatteris Hurdle at 4/7. The gaff was packed solid and a large number of big-hitting London punters had gone to smash into the horse. The betting ring was so alive and I can still recall the cheer as the favourite came home.

Yesterday, and on my two trips there last year, I felt so sad at seeing the small crowds compared to 1988 and how many less bookies there were compared to that February day. It would not be fair to say the place was completely dead yesterday, but in terms of atmosphere it was a pale, pale shadow of when Kribensis did the business.

For those of us who can recall the days of packed betting rings and so many off / on track gambles seeing how things have become is becoming increasingly hard to comprehend.