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Lucky First Flutter!

LUCKY Jean Bowe came to Stranraer to visit her nephew at the weekend - and left £1221 better off after her first-ever flutter on the horses!

Jean (75), who has never set foot in a bookies' shop, handed her nephew, Michael Corkindale, £3 when he went to place his weekly bet on Saturday. She asked him to win her a tenner but he did a whole lot better than that!

Michael, of Stoneykirk Road, Stranraer, chose four horses at random in a "lucky 15" bet at the local branch of Coral Bookmakers - and three of them came home in first place. The great-grandmother of six said:

"Michael always puts a bet on the horses at the weekend. I felt lucky so I gave him some money and asked him to win me a tenner. I wouldn't know how to go about it myself!

"When I heard I had won three races I never believed him - I thought he would have said that anyway."

She added: "I just wanted to cry," she said. "It's an awful lot of money for me. I will have to give it all away now!"

"I have six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren so they can all expect a treat."

For the statisticians, Jean's flutter consisted of four selections. First home was Sister Anna at 8/1 in the 2.15 at Market Rasen. Then at Sandown her second horse, Hurricane Alan, crossed the line first at 25/1 in the 2.55 meeting.

Her third horse, Dictum never ran at Sandown but Lockstockandbarrel made it a treble for Jean when it was first past the post at 20/1 in the 5.35 meeting at Market Rasen.

Coral duty manager, Roy Stewart, said:

"Lucky 15 by its very name is like a fun bet. For a nominal stake you can have a modest flutter but still have a chance to lift good winnings and that is what has happened here - it's a great story."