I won half a MILLION pounds with a racehorse I bought on a whim at the pub – I’m a novice and can’t believe my luck

A LUCKY punter is now half a million pounds richer after he bought a racehorse on a whim in the pub.

Gary Robinson and his team scooped £545,249 after Galeron came in first in the seven-furlong Goffs Million at the Curragh racecourse in County Kildare, Ireland.

The managing director of Aura Gas only bought in on his first horse about two years ago having gotten into the sport during the Covid lockdowns.

While he was celebrating his good luck in Dublin, he told Portsmouth’s : “We said we wanted something better than ninth place and that would have paid for the trip – but then he won.

“We are absolutely made up, we couldn’t want for better.

“There are highs and lows in racing and at the minute we’re on the very highest of highs.

“This is like winning a Classic – but with even more prize money.”

He intends to invest some of his winnings on more horses and splash out on a treat or two for himself and wife Leanne.

Gary purchased Galeron from trainer Charlie Hills last year, with the horse’s name coming from Gary, Leanne and daughter Ronnie.

The idea of buying into a racehorse came to Gary while he was supping a pint with Hills in Newbury.

He said: “It was over half-term last year, I was sat at Newbury having a pint with Charlie and we were looking at the horses he had. He said: ‘I’ve got this horse that qualifies for the Goffs Million’. I didn’t really understand what the Goffs Million was at that point.”

Thanks to his win, he has now promised to take Hills and his wife to Las Vegas.

Gary said: “I’m brand new at racing – I’ve only been doing this for 18 months to two years.

“I’ve always liked going to the races for the day, but it was during Covid when racing was the only sport left on the telly, I started to recognise trainers and names and got really into it.

“A friend of mine had a couple of racehorses, so first of all I invested with him.”

Gary is a former Havant borough councillor and represented Bedhampton for one term before stepping down in May.

Galeron was bred by Gigginstown House Stud and ridden to victory by Shane Foley.