- A bettor was surprised after winning the grand prize.
- Outsider Knight’s Choice takes victory in the Melbourne Cup
- The bettor had wagered $100 on the sensational bet.
A lucky punter has turned $100 into a $3.2 million windfall with a sensational bet on the Melbourne Cup.
It is understood the punter had initially only thought his bet would return him $780,000 but was stunned to learn of his full dividend.
A sensational afternoon of racing unfolded at Flemington on Tuesday when $81 outsider Knight’s Choice usurped favorites Buckaroo, Onesmoothoperator and the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban to take the Melbourne Cup.
The horse, ridden by Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, sped ahead of the rest of the field in the final seconds of the race and was crowned the winner with a photo finish.
And it seems several punters have cashed in on the outsider after the thoroughbred’s sensational feat.
On Tuesday, Ladbrokes revealed the punter had sensationally picked the top four finishers in the Melbourne Cup.
The punter notably backed Knight’s Choice to finish first, Warp Speed to come second, Okita Soushi third and Zardozi fourth to take the huge prize.
According to Ladbroke pre-race odds, Knight’s Choice had a 1.23 per cent chance of winning, with Warp Speed valued at $26, Okita Souchi at $18 and Zardozi backed to win at $14.
But the person managed to pick the final four spots for the big Australian race, and Ladbrokes spokesman Tom Hackett confirmed the individual had put $100 on the bet.
“We congratulate one lucky Ladbrokes punter who managed to place in the top four in the Melbourne Cup,” Hackett said.
Ladbrokes posted a betting slip on Twitter showing that a punter had won $3.2 million on a $100 bet.
The punter backed outsider Knight’s Choice to win the Melbourne Cup and picked all three horses to finish behind him.
‘They boxed Knight’s Choice, Warp Speed, Okita Soushi and Zardozi and turned their $100 investment into $3.2 million, which is already in their Ladbrokes account.
‘At first the client thought he had won $780,000, so you can imagine his surprise when the full dividend was revealed.
“It’s a life-changing result and shows that anything can happen in the Melbourne Cup!”
The bettor’s bet allows them to claim a payout of 416.66 percent.
Elsewhere, another lucky punter won big after another top four bet was placed on a $24 bet.
That forced bookmakers TAB to pay a dividend of $728,000, while the betting firm also handed out a punter $81,000 after the individual placed a sensational $1,000 bet on Knight’s Choice.
One individual also scored a huge $28,491.70 payout from a $6 mystery trifecta – a bet where a bettor’s horses are selected at random by the accounting firm’s systems.
Ladbrokes claimed that the punter had put $100 on the bet, earning a 416.66 per cent return on his bet.
It was also a dream day for Dolan and Knight’s Choice, with the jockey claiming he felt like he was dreaming after the race.
“Pinch me, I’m dreaming… I can’t believe it,” he told Nine News after the race.
‘I think I’ll be singing for the rest of my life after that. What the hell.’