An audacious coordinated wager leaves Irish bookmakers out of pocket to the tune of €200,000.
When D Four Dave romped home in the handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan racecourse, the winner brought more than just pride to his owners, who, it turned out, were behind a sophisticated sting.
In a classic coup carried out with military precision, 200 bets were placed at bookmakers all over Dublin and Kildare.
At exactly five to seven, €200 was placed on D Four Dave five minutes before he was due to run.
Editor of the Irish Racing Post Jonathan Mullin explains,
They recruited 200 people for a very short day's work, but quite a lucrative day's work too.
Those placing bets were armed with a letter of instruction and a watch set to go off at exactly 6:55 pm. The horse's co-owner Douglas Taylor has confirmed he was behind the completely legal sting, in which he risked losing around €40,000, but landed as much as €200,000.
Kilbeggan Racecourse secretary manager Paddy Dunican points out the sting was a massive gamble that could have easily backfired. It depended on D Four Dave winning the three mile hurdle and beating the favourite.
There's no dead cert in racing.
While it is not the biggest sting in racing history, its audacity has left bookmakers stunned and punters smiling.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 June 2010. The reporter is Sandra Hurley.
