Huge 150-1 outsider springs GIANT Royal Ascot shock for football superagent Kia Joorabchian
HUGE 150-1 outsider Valiant Force spring a giant shock at Royal Ascot - and netted a small fortune for football superagent Kia Joorabchian.
Owned by Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation, Valiant Force won the opening Norfolk easily under jockey Rossa Ryan.
Victory for the horse - who was sent off at a frankly ludicrous 487-1 on the Betfair Exchange - worth just a bit over £62,000.
In scenes that will surely bring tears to punters but be great news for bookies, Malc was second at 66-1.
Favourite Elite Status, sent off at 7-4, could manage only third.
Joorabchian was the man behind some of football's biggest deals and worked with Carlos Tevez, Willian, Philippe Coutinho and Pato.
Overcome with emotion on ITV, he said: "We kept trying and getting knocked down, but we get back up.
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"We have always loved this horse. He was on the wrong side of the track at the Curragh last time out.
"We knew he could do it.
"I can't think of anything right now. I can barely speak."
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If you had put £1 on the Valiant Force and Malc finishing first and second you would have won £5,369.
If you had put £1 on the tricast then you would have pocketed £19,266.
This is not the first time a monster-priced winner has hit Royal Ascot.
Three years ago Nando Parrado won the Coventry at 150-1.
This was validation for big-spending Joorabchian, who recently said he felt he had been 'discriminated against' after splashing more than £4million top new horses.
In a dispute with Tattersalls over charges, Joorabchian told Sun Racing he felt others got preferential treatment.
He said: "They don’t treat us and other smaller groups the same way they treat the real powerhouses.
"They are charging us and other people fees they don’t charge to certain people.
"It should be a level playing field for everyone. However it seems they give favourable treatment to the so-called establishment."
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Incredibly, one punter backed Valiant Force and Malc, just not together.
They still made over £550 from a tenner though, so it wasn't all bad.
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