Melbourne Cup punter becomes instant millionaire with $30 bet

Sports Reporter

Thu, 5 Nov 2020, 1:59 am·2-min read

Jye McNiel riding Twilight Payment returns to scale after winning race 7 at the Melbourne Cup. — One punter won more than $1.1 million after picking a Top Four, including the winner Twilight Payment (pictured), at the Melbourne Cup. (Getty Images)

One punter has become a millionaire after outlaying just $30 on a First Four bet for the Melbourne Cup.

In sharp contrast to previous years, Twilight Payment on the 2020 Melbourne Cup but crossed the line in front of an eerily quiet race track with a crowd ban in place due to the coronavirus.

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Twilight Payment was paying $27.20 and anyone fortunate enough to pick the winner was cheering.

But one savvy punter in New Zealand did more than that.

The record-breaking payout is hard to believe, but a retired man from Bishopdale in Christchurch won $1,168,185 when one of his four bets paid off.

The punter put a combination of First Four bets on for $120.

One of the $30 bets was a winning ticket:

1st: Twilight Payment or Tiger Moth

2nd: Twilight Payment or Tiger Moth

3rd: Prince of Arran or The Chosen One

4th: Prince of Arran or The Chosen One

“Looking back as far as 2013, the next biggest Melbourne Cup win was $364,016,” TAB executive chair Dean McKenzie told New Zealand publication Stuff.

“The man received $38,939.50 for every dollar (of the $30 outlay) he bet.”

Punters collect after Melbourne Cup

Meanwhile, an Australian punter was able to win $64,000 on a similar Top Four.

While not quite reaching a seven-figure payout, the punter placed $24 on odds of 2684-1, and collected $64,418.50.

Another punter placed $5,000 on Twilight Payment at $26 to collect an outright $130,000.

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