Lee Ryders off with £21k win
Golfer hits jackpot with 11 winners in the first two days at Cheltenham
GOLFER Lee Westwood backed 11 winners at the Cheltenham Festival in its first two days.
The Ryder Cup star picked the first six winners on Tuesday’s opening day to bag the Tote jackpot, pocketing £20,678. And he then backed a seventh when he placed an extra bet on the day’s final race.
Punters were glued to the 44-yearold’s Tweets at Ladies Day yesterday as they hoped for tips. Former world number one Westwood posted a snap with girlfriend Helen Storey, writing: “Lets hope it goes as well as yesterday! #jackpot £££.”
And the day got off to a great start as he picked the first two winners – before stumbling in the third race. But he then predicted wins for Altior and Tiger Roll. It is not known how much he staked or what his final winnings might be.
Bookies were bruised on the event’s second day after bankers Samcro, Presenting Percy and Altior all won their races. Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said it had cost the industry an estimated £20million, adding: “We couldn’t have had a worse day.” Meanwhile, jockeys Bryony Frost, 22, and Harry Cobden, 19, became the first couple to race each other in the event’s history. Frost was fifth in the RSA Chase and Cobden third.