In a punting tale for the ages, a Ladbrokes customer has turned a modest $100 into a monumental $3.2 million by boxing four horses in the Melbourne Cup. Their winning combination – Knight’s Choice, Warp Speed, Okita Soushi, and Zardozi – delivered a life-changing payout that was securely deposited in their Ladbrokes account within the hour. The win allowed the family to finally pay off their long-standing mortgage and secure a brighter future.
For this family, Melbourne Cup day is a once-a-year tradition, where each member picks a horse (or two) based on a mix of “good feelings” and lucky numbers. The winning punter shared how this tradition played out this year in incredible fashion:
“We only bet on the Melbourne Cup once a year. My son and my husband both liked Knight’s Choice (number 11) and my daughter liked Warp Speed because number four is her favourite number. I had my eye on two horses – number 14 kept coming up on TikTok, so I thought, ‘It has to be something.’ I chose 14, but also 12, because I was folding washing on Saturday, watching Derby Day. The female jockey, Jamie Kah, had broken her nose, won the Derby, and I thought, ‘She’s going to go out hard this time.’”
The family’s intuition and teamwork paid off when the race results aligned perfectly with their picks. Watching the race at home, the couple was initially thrilled, thinking they had won a substantial amount, but soon realised the full impact of their win.
“My husband said, ‘Number 11 is going to get this.’ We were both losing it in the lounge room, thinking, ‘What the hell is happening?’ When number 11 won, my husband was already in tears, thinking I had just won $24,000… But then I noticed that all four of our horses had come in. They did the math and said I’d won $780,000. Even that for us was massive.”
When Ladbrokes confirmed the full prize amount exceeded $3.2 million, the family was in complete shock.
“When Ladbrokes called to confirm I’d won over three million, my husband literally fell to the floor. He was just sobbing. We were looking at each other and we asked him to say it again. It was complete shock for us.”
The prize was available in her account within the hour, which meant they could take immediate steps toward financial security. Their first move? Paying off a mortgage they had been carrying for nearly 20 years.
“We had a massive mortgage… It was looking like our kids might have ended up having to finish off the mortgage because it was so high. It was a nice feeling to see that there was no minus on the account. I don’t even know how to explain it.”
The family’s celebration was low-key but filled with heartfelt joy, surrounded by friends and loved ones.
“My husband was outside with his brother and a whole group of mates… We have nine godchildren as well, and we just love our family and our friends. We would give our shirts off our backs, even if we didn’t have it. You live humbly and be a good person and help other people as you can.”
Ladbrokes CEO Dean Shannon expressed his excitement about the historic win:
“At Ladbrokes, we always strive to give our customers unforgettable experiences, and it doesn’t get much more remarkable than this,” Shannon said.
“To see a family win big through a Melbourne Cup tradition, turning $100 into over $3 million, is something truly special.
“This is a life-changing win and we’re thrilled to be part of this incredible story and to have played a role in helping this family secure their future. They seem like great people, and it was a nice call to get to make.”