
Royal Ascot punter celebrating after placing €59,000 on winning bet
A Royal Ascot punter is celebrating after placing almost €59,000 on a winning bet. The anonymous backer put £50,000 (€58,554) on Charles Darwin in Thursday's opening race, the Norfolk Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have dominated the juvenile races this week and Charles Darwin (8/13 f) added to the victories of True Love and Gstaad from earlier in the week.
One Star Sports punter placed the £50,000 bet at odds of 4/5 meaning they made a £40,000 (€46,833) profit.
Flynn Goward, Managing Director at Star Sports, said before the race: 'We've had a positive first two days of the Royal meeting results wise, losing on course on Tuesday but winning overall yesterday, however we've laid a big bet on course in the opener which could start us on the back foot on Day Three.
'One bullish punter seems to have the utmost faith in the Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore pairing in the opener, placing a £50,000 win bet on Charles Darwin at 4/5 to land the Norfolk Stakes.
'We can also report good business on the Gold Cup, with a £20k bet on French raider Candelari at 5/2.'
And the punter had few concerns throughout the race, with Charles Darwin soon bowling along in front under Moore, finding plenty once challenged and going away at the line to readily account for Wise Approach and Sandal's Song.
'He's lovely, Ryan always loved him and everyone always loved him at home,' said O'Brien.
'He's a big, powerful, strong horse. He really looks like a four-year-old racing against two-year-olds.
'I didn't know if Ryan was going to make the running or drop him in, but he decides that. He always thought he had loads left with the way he came on the bridle.
'He's very quick, a big and mature physical and everyone who rides him says he has a very good mind as well – he's very exciting.
'We were hoping he would get a lead as he never sees the front at home, he's very strong and very quick.'
On the Ballydoyle pecking order regarding juveniles, O'Brien added: 'Albert Einstein is always just something like we've never seen before, the way he works.
'This horse is very fast – he's a sprinter, I don't know how far he's going to get, because he's very quick, and the horse the other day (Gstaad) looks like he's going to get seven, which means he could get a mile."
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