Whittlesey good Samaritan to go on treating elderly residents after pocketing £27,649 from 50p bet

The super-generous punter is a regular at the Betfred shop at Market Place in Whittlesey but can also regularly be found buying brews for pensioners in cafes without them knowing who has picked up the bill.

The 64 year-old father of two, who is also a grandad, went through the card at Chelmsford (on November 4), with his six horses, who all finished all first past the post, pocketing him £27,649 from his 50p Lucky 63 bet. He was celebrating at the double after winning £12,000 on a similar bet in September.

He said: “I’m ex-military, like my father, and got the idea of helping old people from him. I just see a group of older people having a chat in one of the three or four cafes here in Whittlesey and sneak in and pay their bill. “The café owners know me, but not the old people, who must be surprised when they find out I suppose.

“I have been doing it for ages and now I’ve got even more money to treat them!

“It was my 65th birthday on Saturday so this latest win, which is my biggest, was like an early birthday present. I bought everyone a drink in the pub.

“Believe it or not, my wife wants us to go on a once in a lifetime holiday to Bora Bora near Tahiti, while I fancy a new motorhome or even an old American World War Two vintage Willys Jeep, like you see those historical re-enactors using, but they can cost £48,000!”

“I’m absolutely gobsmacked to have won so much having spent less than 15 minutes studying the form. I check out who is tipping certain trainers and jockeys and don’t normally go for favourites, although I did for this very, very lucky bet.”

He picked out Manaafith, Internationalangel, You’re Hired, Dark Side Prince, Howzak, and Iesha in the races between 3.55pm and 6.25pm at Chelmsford, winning him £10,331 - but thanks to Betfred’s best odds guaranteed promotion, together with the bookie’s 25 percent bonus to all correct Lucky 63s, his winning pot totalled £27,649.

Betfred boss Fred Done added: “It’s hard to recall a more worthy winner than this fella in Cambridgeshire. He’s a real salt of the earth character, so very kind-hearted, who fully deserves his big win. Enjoy your windfall Sir, and do take your wife to Bora Bora, for you only live once.”