Builder Josh Smalls Wins £20 Derby Bet on 7-1 Christmas Day After 62-Year-Old Tip
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 6
Builder Josh Smalls Wins £20 Derby Bet on 7-1 Christmas Day After 62-Year-Old Tip
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 6
Summary
Josh Smalls turned a £20 wager into a win at the Epsom Derby after backing Christmas Day, which surged clear late to score at 7-1 odds on Saturday.
A handwritten note dated 1964 was found in a time capsule beneath a Crystal Palace Park statue during renovation work and urged the finder to back a horse with a related name.
Smalls said he searched recent race rosters for a Christmassy name and chose Christmas Day after contractor Craciun Marius Dorin unearthed the capsule on April 15.
The capsule also held four old coins linked to 1964 Derby winner Santa Claus, and the Crystal Palace Park Trust said the park's "time capsule prophecy" had come true.
Bromley Mayor Christine Harris also placed a £15 bet on Christmas Day, saying any winnings would go to local charities.