Horse Racing Punter Lands Epic 50,000/1 Acca in Afternoon They’ll Never Forget

Close Up of Horse Race Runners

A Betfair customer has turned £1 into more than £51,000 after landing the most remarkable eleven-fold acca last week.

In a single afternoon of racing at Ayr and Lingfield, they were able to bank a life-changing amount after ten of their selections won and the other was voided.

Four of their picks obliged at odds of 10/3 or longer in an acca that simply has to be added to the punting hall of fame.

Here’s a look back at how it all went down…

Apples of Their Eye

Every good acca needs an opening winner.

And for our punter, that came courtesy of Apples Jane, who looked a class apart in a maiden hurdle outing at Ayr.

With the rock-steady duo of trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Sean Bowen behind her, Apples Jane was always likely to be well fancied for the low-key renewal, although our punter was still able to get a handy 15/8 about the five-year-old.

She hadn’t shown much in her hurdling career to date, but Bowen was able to get a tune out of the offspring of the legendary Apple’s Jade.

Apples Jane, her near namesake, came alive at the business end of the race, powering through the field to lead before the last of the two-mile renewal before drawing clear on the run for home to win by five lengths.

Our punter’s second selection, Son of Astar, was a non-runner at Lingfield, so attention moved on to the 13:43 at Ayr.

Diamond Geezer, trained by Olly Murphy, had won over 20f in soft conditions in October, so was also well fancied at the Scottish meeting.

Even so, the anonymous Betfair customer was able to get 4/1 about the seven-year-old, who would start as the 9/4 SP favourite with champion jockey Bowen once again in the saddle.

And that was shrewd business on all sides as Diamond Geezer romped home by six lengths after progressing serenely through the field.

A quick switch back to Lingfield saw our punter cheering on Space Invasion just as Diamond Geezer crossed the line – with the 10/3 chance having just enough in the tank under a smart ride from Joe Leavy to win by just over a length.

Grade 2 scorer Wendigo was unlikely to face much opposition against two lower-grade rivals in a novices’ chase at Ayr, and that’s exactly what transpired as the 2/9 jolly cantered home to win by some 22 lengths.

(Do) Poke the Bear

Poke the Bear won at Lingfield over seven furlongs the weekend before last, but he was quickly turned around – albeit with an 8lb penalty – for a return to the same venue on Thursday.

And that weightier handicap did little to disrupt the four-year-old’s progress, who despite a slow start was able to work his way back into the race under a patient ride from Tyler Heard and ultimately run away as a two-length victor.

A hat-trick was on the cards at Ayr for Sean Bowen, who was aboard Stede Bonnet for Gordon Elliott once again.

The five-year-old has displayed plenty of promise in his young hurdling career, and he made good on that at Ayr with another eye-catching victory off a mark of 125 – this time leading home the field by more than four lengths.

There’s no rest for the wicked on a stacked afternoon of racing, because no sooner had Stede Bonnet won than Royal Jet, our punter’s 15/8 selection in the 14:50 at Lingfield, was out on the all-weather.

A winner at Lingfield and Southwell already this season, Royal Jet is a classy campaigner at the low grade and he showcased that once more on Thursday; staying on to defeat Stacey Racey by two-and-a-half lengths.

Walking on Ayr

With seven selections in, it was off to Ayr for three final races in the space of an hour.

One of our punter’s longest odds picks was up first, with Shoeshine Boy taken at 4/1 – despite an eye-watering SP of 11/1.

The ten-year-old won at Ayr earlier in January, but showed little in the way of fatigue despite a 4lb rise and a step up in class. Craig Nichol pitched Shoeshine Boy in midfield before asserting two from home, and he responded – just about – to win by a head.

Despite being the lowest-rated horse to finish the race, Tommy Combats was another 4/1 scorer for our punter next up, which left just 15/8 hopeful The Skecher left to run.

On his debut under rules, the Dan Skelton five-year-old looked a class apart in his maiden bumper, making all the running under Dan’s brother Harry to prevail by five-and-a-half lengths.

And that, as they say, was that. Eleven picks, ten winners, one void. £1 on, £51,058 back. Now that’s an afternoon of racing punting to savour…

Time Course Winner Odds
13:13 Ayr Apples Jane 15/8
13:20 Lingfield Son Of A Star (Void) N/A
13:43 Ayr Diamond Geezer 4/1
13:50 Lingfield Space Invasion 10/3
14:13 Ayr Wendigo 2/9
14:20 Lingfield Poke The Bear 2/1
14:43 Ayr Stede Bonnet 10/11
14:50 Lingfield Royal Jet 15/8
15:13 Ayr Shoeshine Boy 4/1
15:43 Ayr Tommy Combats 4/1
16:13 Ayr The Sketcher 15/8