A stable worker was celebrating the bet of a lifetime after turning the equivalent of $78 into $1.57 million with a series of winners at England's Cheltenham Festival jump racing meeting.
Conor Murphy backed five horses that were trained by his boss, Nicky Henderson, and collected the giant windfall after the fifth and final bet came home Thursday.
Even more impressive, Murphy placed the bet before Christmas in a bid to get better odds.
If his wager had been placed Tuesday, the first day of the festival, it would have netted him only around $48,000.
Murphy spent his first night as a millionaire away from the cameras and was expected to return to duty as Henderson's head stable "lad" Friday for the race meeting's signature Gold Cup.
"I'm thrilled. He's a lovely lad," Henderson told The Sun.
Murphy is believed to have backed 8-11 favorite Sprinter Sacre on Tuesday and watched 2-1 joint favorite Simonsig, 9-2 joint favorite Bob's Worth and Finian's Rainbow at 4-1 come in first Wednesday. Then 7-2 favorite Riverside Theatre was first to the post Thursday.
