Horse racing punter wins £5m with extraordinary bet

A racing punter has taken home an astonishing £5million prize from a fee bet with a stupendous prediction of a 12-horse race.

An Auckland man didn't even need to stake a penny when competing in a free-to-enter competition set-up for The TAB Everest, which is known as the richest turf race in the world.

The Sydney showdown included 12 horses with the prize on offer for a perfect prediction standing at AU$9.6m (£5m). To the astonishment of the organisers, the fan did just that.

Think About It took the victory with Alcohol Free coming last on Saturday - with the New Zealander almost lost for words.

After requesting anonymity, he said: "I saw the promotion on the TAB site and thought I'd give it a crack.

"I didn't put too much thought into my picks and just dropped the runners where I thought it could go.

"Honestly, I could not believe I'd won it. I actually thought it was a hoax when they first rang me – I called the TAB back, and it took quite a lot of convincing before it sank in.

"To have pulled it off, winning $10 million in a free to play competition, is truly incredible for my family and I."

With the median house price in Auckland standing at AU$1m (£500,000) the lucky winner looks set to treat his family with his untold riches.

Back in June, a horse racing punter won an incredible £16,000 at Royal Ascot off a £2 each-way bet.

The Betfair punter landed the huge sum after his £1 each-way double won, courtesy of 150/1 outsider Valiant Force and 100/1 shot Witch Hunter.

However, that win is nowhere near as impressive as the Auckland man, who might well be the luckiest fan in the history of sport.