'It still hasn't sunk in yet' - joy for Pricewise punter as he lands £60,993
A day that began with a hangover ended with more cause for celebratory drinks for one lucky Pricewise punter after they reaped the spoils of a 2,267-1 four-timer to win an astonishing £60,993.
The 56-year-old from Durham was rewarded for his lasting loyalty to Racing Post's tipster team on December 18 after Tom Segal selected four winners across Haydock and Ascot, culminating in Tritonic's success in the Betfair Exchange Trophy.
Mike, who didn't wish to be named in full, was delayed in placing the bet as it was the morning after his work Christmas party. But his hungover state turned out to be a contributing factor in his big win as, in a rush to collect his son from university, he stuck the five selections in a series of each-way doubles, trebles and two four-timers (two of the selections were in the same race) totalling £270.
'It's my biggest ever win!' – punters' joy after Tom Segal's four-timer
"I woke up as rough as a dog from partying all night and I looked at my phone and saw the screenshot of the Pricewise picks I had sent my wife the night before. I just decided to put them all on the one bookmaker as I didn't have much time, even though it was a little pricey," the winning punter said.
"I normally would have sat down and watched all the racing, but I missed the start and heard Champ had won. Thinking he was in a race with one of the selections I thought I'd lost one, so I just checked to see how I was getting on. That's when I saw three wins and I had half an hour before the final race to wait in anticipation."
Not a fan of cashing out early, Mike diligently checked his options under the encouragement of his family but was unable to cash out before the last. He was left to nervously watch the final race in which Segal had selected 8-1 shot Tritonic and 9-1 Garry Clermont to hunt for victory in the Grade 3 contest.
"I was a little bit all over the place," Mike admitted. "I've still got the race recorded and I've watched it a few times. I get nervous even watching it now. Tritonic started to pull away two out and all he needed to do was jump the last. I kept thinking 'oh my God, he's going to do it' over and over again. I had no idea how much it was, I kept pressing the refresh button on the account.
"Sometimes it feels like it still hasn't sunk in yet. I think the most overriding emotion is relief I didn't miss the boat because I'm a regular punter of Pricewise, but I'm not a massive gambler. If for some reason I hadn't put any bets on and Tom had done what he did on Saturday I would have been inconsolable.
"There was jumping and cheering, it was unbelievable, but when it began to sink in it was stressful. The emotions weren't just joy but also responsibility. It was just very overwhelming and difficult to take in.
"It's 60 grand, that's a lot of money to a man in the street. When you see someone on TV popping the champagne when they've won the lottery, I'll look at them a little differently now. I think they might be smiling to the camera, but there's a huge feeling of responsibility, you can't just take it in your stride."
'I couldn't pick a horse to save my life'
Mike has only just begun to reveal his success to his friends and is already plotting the best use for his winnings, with his wife also landing £40 that day with the same tips.
"Everyone who knows has been fantastic. I've spoken to a couple of people about the mental side of it and they've helped me come to terms with it as a challenge. I've been challenged to do good things now.
"The money's untouched aside from what I've given the family. I've just put it in an account and will make sure that other people benefit from it. I want to give some to charities, but I've also thought about buying a share in a horse with a couple of pals. I've never been in a position to do that until now.
"I'm not part of the horseracing game, I'm on the outside looking in. I couldn't pick a horse to save my life, but I don't need to because someone is paid to do it and they put their reputation and neck on the line, so that's good enough for me."
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