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Bookie nearly wets his pants after taking 250,000 bet on Melbourne Cup favourite

Racecourse bookmaker Chris Lester accepted the huge sum on the Joseph OBrien Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa at an eve of race function

[Al Riffa: subject of a 250,000 bet]

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Al Riffa: subject of a 250,000 bet(Image: PA)

A bookmaker confessed I nearly wet my pants after agreeing to take a huge bet on the favourite on the eve of the Lexus Melbourne Cup. The 5 million Australian race, known as the race that stops a nation, takes place at Flemington on Tuesday with a number of European challengers among the runners.

They include the Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa, trained by two-time Melbourne Cup winner Joseph OBrien who has been acquired by Australian Bloodstock, a syndicate which also has won the race twice. Interest in the race reached fever pitch on Monday during the annual Call Of The Card lunch held at Melbournes Crown Casino.

The event is also attended by bookmakers who offer prices on the 24-runners declared for the Melbourne Cup.

As betting got underway, bookmaker Chris Lester told the audience he was offering Al Riffa was a 7-1 after which a guest representing iGaming business Easygo, stood up to request a 250,000 [A$500,000] bet.

I want A$500,000 at 8 [7-1], he said. Lester briefly left the stage to look at his market before returning to declare to huge cheers, Its a bet.

If Al Riffa wins the Melbourne Cup, Lester will have to pay out winning of 1.75 million.

Afterwards he told the Racing Post: "That is probably the biggest bet we've ever had at Call Of The Card.

"I think the biggest bet last year was to win A$1 million [500,000] but there were a lot of those this year. It was massive.

"I had heard rumours there was going to be a big request for Al Riffa but when it came out I nearly wet my pants. I had to think about the potential risk but I'm lucky as I have the ability to bet back with Ladbrokes."

Lester added: "Al Riffa is clearly the best horse in the field but no horse has won carrying 59 kilos for over 50 years. That's what concerns me. We're happy to take him on."

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