Punter ponders £275,000 cash-out offer as first four win in amazing £5 acca

What would you do if you had a £5 accumulator rolling on to Envoi Allen for more than half a million pounds and the bookmaker you struck the bet with offered you £275,000 to call it quits?

You'd let it ride, right? It's only £5. When are you ever going to get a chance like this again? Envoi Allen's a 1-2 shot and only has to turn up for £511,225.

But it's horseracing, anything can happen. Everyone said Chacun Pour Soi was home and hosed. And when you think about it, really think about it, £275,000 is an awful lot of money. A life-changing amount of money. With no risk. It's just sitting there with your name on it, you only have to say yes. Suddenly it's not so straightforward, is it?

For you and me this is only a hypothetical exercise, but for Paul Dean, 40, that has very much been the reality ever since Bob Olinger's success in the Ballymore.

Asked if he intends to sleep on the decision, the undecided Dean quips: "I'm going to drink on it first!"

Bob Olinger, who he had at 25-1, was the fourth leg of five in a bet that was struck when the sport returned in June.

Dean got off to a great start at Royal Ascot when Golden Horde (12-1) and Hello Youmzain (10-1) won the Commonwealth Cup and Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

All winter long the ever-shortening Shishkin (4-1), aforementioned Bob Olinger and Envoi Allen (9-2) have built the anticipation, and results this week have been favourable.

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"I've had a good week so far," says Dean. "I put it on at the beginning of June and I didn't realise Betfair had a max £250,000 payout, but Barry Orr said they'll honour the full bet, which is really good of them as I was gutted at first.

"Initially, it was offering me a cash-out of £182,000 for that reason but they've offered me £275,000. I haven't decided what to do yet.

"The thing is, if I cash out I haven't got Envoi to cheer on, whereas if I can get enough money together myself to lay part of it off so I've a good win anyway but I'll win a lot more on Envoi, that's what I'd ideally want as I want to be cheering him on.

"Half the people are telling me to cash out, the other half are telling me to let it ride. My phone's going absolutely wild. The fact Envoi had switched from Gordon [Elliott] was a concern, but Sir Gerhard and Galvin have changed stables and won, so that's a bit less of a worry."

Dean, then, is considering all factors. He also knows all too well how cruel ante-post accumulators can be.

"This time last year I was waiting on Minella Indo for £110,000," he says. "I was at Cheltenham, we always go – my dad and my Scottish mates from Glasgow, and they were trying to cheer me up.

"I've never been that low. He's still the moral winner in my eyes. They cut each other's throats and Champ just picked up the pieces.

"So a year after I've come out a lot better so far. I've always been aiming to land a big one, I absolutely love the ante-post, it keeps the dream alive all winter. So far it's been my best Cheltenham – and hopefully it gets a bit better!"

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Betfair spokesman Barry Orr adds: "The customer is sitting on over half a million pound payout for just a £5 bet and told me he won't be able to sleep tonight. I’d say that’s a massive understatement.

"He could take the cash-out offer of £275,000 and sit back safe in the knowledge that regardless of what happens in the race he is £275,000 better off, or he can reject the offer and hope that Envoi Allen beats his seven opponents and also safely negotiates the 16 fences to land his incredible bet. Envoi Allen is 4-9 favourite, so he may well stick and let the bet run."

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