Mick Easterby and the monster coup foiled by his wife's hat

Mick Easterby has revealed the bizarre way he missed out on a massive payday in 1975 – all because his wife couldn't get her hat off.

In rip-roaring form as he spoke to the Racing Post for an interview in Sunday's newspaper, Easterby recalled the day he won with three well-fancied favourites, including subsequent Group 1 winner Lochnager, at Haydock on June 7, 1975, but failed to walk away with the anticipated winnings after a plot went horribly wrong.

"This is absolutely true," he said. "I took £1,000 in my pocket. I knew it was just a case of how far Lochnager would win by, maybe ten or 20 lengths. Eight of us went in together for a punt, including Nicholas Wrigley's father, Mr Wrigley.

Mick Easterby speaks with near neighbour and fellow trainer Ruth Carr while she uses one of his gallopsCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I put Alice on the grandstand and told her when she gave the signal of taking off her hat we would all back the horse at the same time. While he was waiting, Mr Wrigley went over to the Ladbrokes pitch and asked for a price about Lochnager. The bookie told him 5-1. He kept looking up at Alice, like we all did, but she wasn't taking her hat off.

"A minute later Mr Wrigley asked again and the price was down to 4-1. Alice still had her hat on. He asked twice more and by then the price was 6-4. 'The silly cow still hasn't taken her hat off,' he said to the man at Ladbrokes. What we didn't know was Alice had pinned the hat on her head and couldn't get if off.

"I finished up only having £100 on. I'm sure someone found out about our plan and pinched the price. I think it was Peter O'Sullevan. I couldn't blame him."

Read more from Mick Easterby in the Big Read, available to members from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Join Members' Club here