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I’m not particularly “lucky.”
Over the years I’m sure I’ve backed more horses that have fallen when clear at the last than have been left clear at the last, for example.
(Not that my bet matters when a horse falls, I hasten to add, horse and rider getting up ok is what really matters).
But I’ve just had a bit of incredible luck.
I left a speculative open bet at Betfair Exchange, but gave up on it getting matched and managed to back the horse with a bookmaker instead.
In a race sadly full of carnage it got out in front and stayed there.
28/1 – happy days.
I then realised I’d forgotten to cancel my open bet and checked my account and found I’d left it at “if unmatched at the Off take Betfair SP” – which was 46!
We all hear lots of hard luck stories, or aftertiming stories about how clever people apparently were.
Anyone else got any sheer blind good luck stories like this one of mine?
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"In 1998, I was contacted by Ian Carnaby, who had early sight of the quotes in his role as a writer of a spread betting column. He told me that there was a difference of opinion between the firms on total runs for Graham Thorpe in the upcoming series against S Africa, so I could sell with one and buy with the other for a guaranteed profit.
I quickly sold Thorpe at 325 with firm A, but by the time I phoned firm B, their quote had changed considerably and the margin no longer existed. So I was left with a bet that would cost me £20 for every run he might score over 325 in that five test series.
He scored 43 and 10 in the first test, 10 and 0 in the second test and, struggling with a back problem, 0 and 0 in the third test, after which he was ruled out for the rest of the series.
The rules only required him to play two matches for the bet to stand, so I got a cheque for just over five grand, for a bet I never would have considered without that phone call.
Mind you, it should have been six grand – Thorpe was plumb LBW before he’d scored in that first innings of the first test!
“sheer blind good luck stories”
Reminds of of Snooker with blind Dave. He never gets any luck.. or so he says so. I have it more down as poor control of the white ball and being too negative in potting a ball without consideration of the cue ball. This is only bad luck to Dave when it happens and he loses. On the odd occasion when he wins it’s because he’s in good form..😂
I had a spot of luck with the bookies
They didn’t change their odds after a goal had been scored but then ruled out via VAR. Some may call that theft but in my defence there were still about 30 seconds in which another goal could have made my bet a loser ..😛Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Great stories, Alan and Nathan, thank you.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I had an outrageous stroke of luck at Haydock thirty years ago.
I did a single line on the placepot. The first leg was third in a big field maiden. The second leg was second in a big field handicap.
The third and fourth legs both won – one was a maiden for Barry Hills, the other a handicapper for Roger Charlton.
I looked at my selections in the last two legs. I had a Henry Cecil/Clveden Stud filly in the fifth race that had to finish in the first three. Then a Gosden newcomer in a maiden. I felt quite confident.
To my disappointment, the Cecil filly could only finish fourth. I headed for the paddock for the next race. Then there was an announcement: “The Clerk of the Scales has lodged an objection”.
It turned out that Darryl Holland, who had ridden the second placed horse, had forgotten to weigh in. His horse was disqualified and the Cecil filly was promoted to third place. All of a sudden my placepot was alive again.
It all rested on the last leg: Key Suspect for Gosden, in the colours later borne by Benny The Dip to victory at Epsom. There was never a moment’s doubt as Key Suspect stormed home by six lengths.
It was the first time I ever won the placepot!
Love this!
Thanks for sharing, CAS.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Betfair will probably ban you from their “SP” if you’ve beaten the last matched price by a long way. Betdaq did that to me.
All my bets now are in lucky 15s/31s , tend to get a nice layout every 3 to 4 months however my luck win was when I was doing a number of forecasts , I had a couple of punts on
a handicap at thirsk , got the winner but neither of my other picks were in the frame ….closer inspection of my slip confirmed id got the horses numbers wrong ….I did in fact by some miracle have the forecast …and £86 quidPick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Nice one, HDLG – thanks for sharing.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"A couple of seasons ago my brother had a yankee as he tends to do, the first 3 went in, one of which was quite lucky as the horse was 4th over the last and somehow got up to win.
The final leg was by far the luckiest, his selection trailed in last of 7 or 8 horses, only for all the horses apart from my brothers selection being disqualified for taking the wrong course (his jockey went a different way round one of the obstacles to all the other jocks- from memory it had been dolled off for some reason).
And so after an anxious stewards enquiry his yankee was in to the tune of £28K.
I did have a bit of luck with a L15 with Ladbrokes shop
Had Denman to win the Hennesy Gold Cup, I think he was around the 6/1 mark at the time of bet struck WON
Big Bucks to win the Stayers around 3/1 WON
Kauto Star lost the Gold Cup
and Binocular to win the Champions Hurdle, for some reason I didn’t write his price down which I always did but forgot, he was favourite at the time around 2/1 or thereabouts.
Henderson pulled him out of the race only for him to end up running due to Henderson “forgetting” to pull him out of the race and he WON with an SP of 9/1
It was only a pound L15 but still a nice result
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Great stuff, Kendicate and Nathan.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"My memory may be playing tricks with me, but many years ago I had a long range ante-post double on Monksfield (Champion Hurdle)and Bective road (Triumph Hurdle). Bective Road was withdrawn a few weeks before, so I presumed the bet was dead. But cacing was abandoned the day of the Triumph and the race declared void, so it became a single on Monksfield, who had duly obliged. Fortunately, for some unknown reason, I’d retained the slip!
I was a student at the time so it was a welcome surprise.
Is my memory correct (on the race being void)?I recall in 1978 the card containing the Triumph Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup was postponed on the final day due to snow and run in April.
If it was more than 30 days later maybe all ante-post bets were void?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"NEWMARKET, England, Oct. 17 1964 (AP) — Hasty Cloud, one of the oldest horses’ in a field of 43, won the Cambridgeshire Stakes today in his third try. The race determined the fortunes of thousands of ticket holders in the Irish Sweepstakes. It was 100-8.
Hasty Cloud, a 6-year‐old owned by George Walter and ridden by Jock Wilson, opened up a big lead and held off a late challenge from Commanderin‐Chief, last year’s winner. The margin’at the end of the 1⅛mile race was three‐quarters of a length. Barwin was third, four lengths farther back. ‘
Well Paw had a successful double with Grey of Falledon in the Cesarawitch and Hasty Cloud in the Cambridgeshire. He called it the spring double but it wasn’t that. He won £440 and bought a second hand grey Vauxhall Victor- the model with the arched wings in the front and a front bench seat in red lookalike leather and a clutch that came out of the steering wheel. I never liked sitting in the front seat as with one leg slightly shorter than the other ( a mysterious illness as a child – he spent a month in bed and only years later when he saw his leg wasn’t right did the doc say Polio) he would lean on you and he was also a pretty awful driver. We called the car Grey of Falledon and all went well until two years later he was at a T junction one morning doing a right turn, and he didn’t spot a big building lorry (HIRST) hurtling down the hill filled up with earth. The car ended up on the pavement after the collision all mangled up, and Paw broke three ribs which the doc advised to do nothing and let them heal themselves. That was the end of Grey of Falledon – he was retired to scrap.
P.S …found this
Saturday sees the renewal of one of our oldest handicaps, the Newmarket Cesarewitch-first run in 1839.
The race is unique in that it starts in one county (Cambridgeshire) and finishes in another (Suffolk); and that it only has one bend- after 10 furlongs.
Over the years, there have been some great weight-carrying performances, notably by Grey of Falloden setting the record when carrying 9st 6lbs in 1964- a feat bettered by John Cherry and Lester Piggott when they hacked up under 9st 13 lbs in 1976.A few years ago during the Cheltenham Festival. I’d had a good drink the day before and picked my horses out the next morning. As I was a few quid up on the week I did a few lucky 15s as well as my regular bets to make me break even, even if I didn’t have a winner that day. When I got to the bookies I had a couple of non-runners so started to swap my bets around. Been still a bit worse for wear I got in a bit of a muddle but eventually got my bets on.
On checking my slips later, in fact after my first winner went in Fivefourthree for Mullins/Walsh, I noticed that I’d backed this horse in two Lucky 15s in error. The horse should have just been backed with three losers including Kauto Star but was also backed with winners Celestial Halo and Denman.
I had a few more pints to celebrate as by this time my hangover had gone
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