RAUCOUS scenes unfolded on Ladies Day at Chester’s biggest meeting of the year – as Michael Owen ran riot and bookies took a pasting.
The England footie legend bagged two big winners on the day, netting him just short of £50,000.
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And one of his co-owners almost lost his top in the winner’s enclosure as he was left on the brink of tears after victory.
Boxing royalty Ricky Hatton and Owen’s former England team-mate Steve McManaman were soaking up the sunshine at the famous Roodee.
But it was little-known Nick Hughes who stole the show.
A co-owner with Owen of 8-1 winner-of-the-first Roman Dragon, Hughes was overcome with emotion in a brilliant ITV Racing interview with Sun Racing columnist Matt Chapman.
And earlier footage showed him lying on the grass with his shirt round his head and tummy fully exposed as he celebrated in style.
Then again, wouldn’t you if you’d just seen your horse bag you a cheque for £23,000?
Owen’s good form continued in the second race when the Hugo Palmer-trained Tricky Tel – named after the former Ballon d’Or winner’s dad – won at 5-6 having been backed right in from 6-1.
It’s not often you feel sorry for the bookies.
But you had to spare a thought for the layers as they saw four of the first five races on the card won by favourites.
And even the 4.10pm, the sixth and penultimate race of the day, was won by the well-backed Paddy The Squire at 4-1.
That all came after the first four favourites all won on Wednesday.
Those results helped one punter land a life-changing sum from their £5 bet which included ten straight winners.
Bookies would have been licking their lips when they saw Ryan Moore struggling on hot fav Mount Kilimanjaro on the Listed Dee Stakes on Thursday.
But their rotten run continued – much to the delight of punters – when the jockey showed why so many consider him the best in the world with a ‘ridiculous’ ride to keep the run going.
It wasn’t all about the racing, though.
A whole host of ladies – including pop star Tulisa – turned up in their finest to take in the action, enjoy a drink or two and have a bet.
Bookies will be absolutely desperate for some results on Friday, when the £170,000 Chester Cup takes centre stage.
The feature race of the week is one of the big betting races of the year and sees 16 races thunder round the tight, twisting track in search of the £86,632 winning prize.
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