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'I can't believe it, I've never won more than £2,000 in my life' - big wins and battered bookies as the buzz is back in the Cheltenham betting ring

Johnny Dineen standing for FitzBet on the rails at Cheltenham on Tuesday
Johnny Dineen standing for FitzBet on the rails at Cheltenham on TuesdayCredit: Patrick McCann
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Numbers, notes and nonsensical sums.

It was 20 minutes after the Champion Hurdle and I wandered down to see how FitzBet were getting on. Paul Byrne had purchased Sean Graham's plum pitch on the rails and signed up Johnny Dineen for the week. The queue started at about a quarter to one and it was about 20-deep, sometimes more, for the next five hours. Relentless. 

Anyway, Byrne told me to get up on the box to try being a bookie for a few minutes, so that's what I did. Never again. Ever. 

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Deputy Ireland editor

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