Rachael Blackmore's Gold Cup win seals stunning cash windfall for Galway punter

A Paddy Power punter from Galway placed a €10 accumulator bet on the big races at the Cheltenham Festival and all came home as winners.

After Energumene won the Champion Chase (4/1 in November, won at 5/2), Allaho in the Ryanair Chase (7/2 in November, won at 4/7), and Flooring Porter in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle (10/1 in November, won at 4/1), it all came down to Blackmore and A Plus Tard winning the Gold Cup, with a potential €54,540 win resting on the result.

Blackmore's brilliant ride as she became the first female jockey to win the race secure the betting jackpot, with the punter telling Paddy Power: "I couldn’t believe it really. Rachael Blackmore is just unreal. I watched it somewhere else because my internet wouldn’t be great. But I was never in any doubt.”

"I honestly didn’t think it would come down to this (the Gold Cup result). Shishkin was the main man in Queen Mother Champion Chase, obviously, so when Energumene won, I couldn’t believe it.

"Obviously, I had to back Flooring Porter, being a Galway horse. I just said I’d go for it and do the accumulator, so I stuck the €10 on.

"I wouldn’t normally back horses. I’d only have the odd flutter. But Cheltenham is Cheltenham. This is the kind of thing you only ever read about. It’s unbelievable!"

STAKE €10 ACCUMULATOR AT ODDS OF 5450/ 1

Honeysuckle at 7/4 (won at 8/11) = running total €27.50

Energumene at 4/1 (won at 5/2) = running total €137.50

Allaho at 7/2 (won at 4/7) = running total €618.75

Flooring Porter at 10/1 (won at 4/1) = running total €6806.25

A Plus Tard at 7/1 (won at 3/1) = TOTAL WINNINGS €54,450