Want the latest Scottish sport news sent straight to your inbox? Join thousands of others who have signed up to our Record Sport newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A MYSTERY punter won £450,00 on a 10p bet as Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander handed bookies a bumper payday.

Bookmakers were set to lose a fortune if 8-11 favourite Kauto Star won the highlight of the Cheltenham festival.

But the three-time winner unseated jockey Ruby Walsh four fences from the finish.

That let Paddy Brennan hustle 7-1 shot Imperial Commander home, with second favourite Denman just behind. A mystery man who laid a series of 10p accumulators had backed them to finish one-two.

Mon Mome's last gasp effort to snatch third from Carruthers saved William Hill from that becoming a £1million win.

But his £450,000 payout was nothing compared with the £20million punters would have pocketed if Kauto Star triumphed.

Betting giant Coral reckoned the industry had "raked" in £50million in bets placed on the outcome. A spokesman for the firm said: "What an amazing race.

"It's good news for us as the only result we feared was a win for Kauto Star.

"We reckon around 75 per cent of bets placed on the Gold Cup have been for the favourite."

Hill's spokesman David Hood said: "Bookies couldn't make it up this week. They have enjoyed some stellar results, with only three winning favourites, and it will take punters until the World Cup to get over the shocks this week."