AFTER five out of six horses romped home as winners lucky punter Stephen Wade calculated he had turned his £11.45 bet into about £800.

So he could not believe his ears when he was told by officials at Bradlows Racing, Rishton, that he had scooped more than £6,000!

It was the first time Stephen, of Fielding Street, Rishton, had placed a multiple "Black Jack" bet.

The first horse he selected Fame Again did not win, but the following five - Shall We Go, Orchestra Stall, Portelet, Arabian Story and Hagweh won their races at Newcastle and Epsom.

He collected £6,112. If all six horses had won he would have picked up £35,000!

He also paid the 95p tax. If he had not, the betting shop would have deducted £500 after the win.

"I watched the races with my wife Susan at home," said Stephen. "It was the first time I had done a bet like this. I fancied doing it just for a change.

"I picked the horses out of the paper just because I thought they had a good chance.

"We couldn't believe it when they started winning. We actually thought we had won about £800.

"And then I went to the shop and found it was £6,000. It was unbelievable."

Stephen says he has no plans for what to do with the money yet but is considering home improvements and perhaps a holiday.

Mike Platt, general manager of Bradlow's said: "You don't expect to win that sort of money on a small bet. It was a weary, rainy Bank Holiday, but every cloud has a silver lining."

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