'He was a special fella' - tributes paid to popular professional punter Johnny 'Lights' Hurndall

Tributes have been paid to a "great character" and popular professional punter Johnny 'Lights' Hurndall, who died at the age of 74 earlier this month.

Lights had been an avid racing fan since childhood and was a leading name and charismatic figure in the betting ring for a number of decades, predominantly in the south of England. At one point he was said to be one of the biggest gamblers in Britain.

Later in his career he turned into a layer on the rails before suffering from ill health. He died at Epsom Hospital on March 10.

His daughter Vanessa said: "He played such a huge part in our lives. He always had the Racing Post from day one and never missed it since. He was full of life, loved to gamble from an early age and was just good at what he did. He was very successful."

Also a keen punter and fan of cricket, Lights formed friendships with fellow professional punters on the track, including Steve Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton said: "I knew Lights for 35 years. I was only on the track for a couple of weeks and I remember him approaching me at Sandown and he just came and said to me, "I'll give you a couple of hundred quid a day to mark my card." All of a sudden, what I was earning in a week I was getting a day off him.

"Even in later years we still spoke every day. He would call and I'd run through the card with him, and even when he was really poorly he'd call to ask if we were having a bet.

"His wife Megan said that even with all the medication he was on, the best drug he had was backing a winner. I could actually hear that on the phone how much it had perked him up. 

"You used to have so many different fellas on the track, but he was a real family man. He was a great character and I miss not speaking to him."

Lights was not averse to backing a red-hot favourite before or during a race, as Lewis Hamilton recalled.

"Back in the day we were going countrywide, from Newton Abbot to Perth. He was so trustworthy, there was never any question of him going back on his word. He was fearless, not only when betting but when laying on the rails.

"I always remember at Huntingdon he used to stand at the back of the stands and bet in running. He would shout the odds and if the bookies wanted to lay the favourite, he'd be the one they shouted back to. It was all done on trust. He was betting in big numbers at those times and was a pure punter."

Lewis Hamilton added: "We used to go down to the West Country for the start of the jumps season at the very end of July and beginning of August. It'd be Newton Abbot for two days, then Exeter and then Market Rasen. We had a spectacularly good time there once and we both won quite big those first three days. A week or two after, one of the bookmakers came up to me and said that got Johnny out of trouble and it really kick-started him. 

"Our partnership became a friendship, we were mates. He was a special fella and everybody, including bookmakers, would say they were his friend."

Lights is survived by Megan, daughters Lisa and Vanessa, and grandchildren Ellie and Sam. His funeral will be held at 11.30am on April 1 at GreenAcres Kemnal Park in Chislehurst.