A £1,000 bet, placed with a Tavistock bookmakers on a horse running at Cheltenham last Saturday, could have really swollen the coffers of St Luke's Hospice — but the 7-1 tip failed to keep up with the front runners.
The unusual donation was made by Sir Derek Birley, winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. The bet was part of his prize and hospice fundraisers were hoping the horse, Andrew James, would romp home in the 3.40 race.
Bookmakers William Hill agreed to give the charity the £1,000 even though the horse failed. It was tipped by Jeffrey Ross, racing correspondent for the Western Morning News.
Jonathan Farnhill, director of funding for St Luke's, said: 'I've never come across anything like this before and I think it was great fun. We normally run a sweepstake on the Grand National but that's as far as our knowledge of racing goes.
'Unfortunately the horse appeared to run backwards on Saturday.'
Mr Farnhill said how pleased he was that the bet was placed in Tavistock. 'Many patients come from the area and we have an excellent Tavistock Friends of St Luke's who have raised tens of thousands of pounds for the hospice.'
Sir Derek Birley's book 'The Social History of Cricket' overcame the odds to win the top prize.
One judge, Ian Wooldridge, declared it the 'greatest book ever written on cricket'. 'I know the hospice does magnificent work and I am delighted to be able to help.'