Melbourne Cup 2024: Aussie punter turns $100 into $3.5m

Jockey Robbie Dolan rides Knights Choice to victory ahead of Warp Speed in the 2024 Melbourne Cup. Photo / Photosport

Two Australian punters are celebrating the collects of a lifetime after they both successfully secured the first four in the Melbourne Cup.

In what is the ultimate Melbourne Cup windfall, one punter’s $100 investment netted them a staggering A$3.2 million.

Another punter has taken home the full A$728,000 first four dividend as well after his $24 mystery bet saluted.

The A$3.2m collect was placed with online bookie Ladbrokes.

“They boxed Knight’s Choice, Warp Speed, Okita Soushi and Zardozi and have turned their $100 investment into $3.2 million, which is already in their Ladbrokes account,” the Ladbrokes spokesperson said.

“The customer initially thought they had won $780,000, so you can imagine their surprise when the full dividend was revealed.

“It is a life-changing result and shows that anything can happen in the Melbourne Cup.”

The second punter, who placed the mystery first four at the Bairnsdale RSL, outlaid just $24 to collect the full dividend.

The TAB machine dished out the numbers 11, 4, 12 and 14, with the punter’s life now turned upside down given the monstrous payout.

“Meanwhile, on a day of big dividends, the Melbourne Cup quaddie also was worth a fortune – and for good reason too.

In order to get a slice of the $512,000 dividend you had to find: Knight’s Choice ($63), Catoggio ($35), Fancify ($6.30), and Bel Air ($12.40). — racing.com