Punter watches £1m win disappear

Babodana's rider (right) was suspended for careless riding

A "desperately unlucky" punter saw a jackpot of nearly £1m drop away to just £90 as his winning horse was disqualified after the race.

The unnamed gambler placed the £2 bet at a branch of Ladbrokes in Newcastle, on Saturday, it has emerged.

Had stewards not disqualified Babodana from a race at Newmarket in favour of Sleeping Indian, he would have picked up a cheque for £957,714.

"I feel so desperately sorry for the guy," said the shop's manager.

He has not yet come forward to claim his £90 winnings.

As well as missing out on the Scoop6 payout of £857,714 the man had linked many of the same horses in an accumulator, which was worth another £100,000 with Babodana as the winner.

It was the win of a lifetime and then... it's gone Billy McKeown

He instead won a £90 dividend from the Scoop6 after the horse was demoted to second.

Although Babodana was first past the post in the Ben Marshall Stakes stewards decided it had forced runner-up Sleeping Indian right in the closing stages.

Babodana's rider Darryll Holland was given a two-day suspension for careless riding.

"It was the win of a lifetime and then... it's gone. I don't know the name of the punter, he comes in every once in a while," Billy McKeown, who runs the betting shop, told the Racing Post.

"Everyone in the shop was talking about it. We're waiting for him to come in to collect his £90, though I suspect he's in no mood to speak to anyone."

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "This customer has been desperately unlucky.

"However, the disqualification has turned out to be very fortunate for the punters who backed Sleeping Indian."