Rooney, rings and red squirrels: the tale of the ultimate Scoop6 syndicate

£3 million in 3 Weeks – The Squirrel Syndicate: A Gambler's Tale by Richard Brocklebank and Charles Yates
£19.99, published by The Conrad Press Ltd

What do Wayne and Coleen Rooney, an engagement ring and a red squirrel forest on the outskirts of Liverpool have in common? The answer is the birth of a betting syndicate which became one of the most renowned Scoop6 winners.

Punter Richard Brocklebank and tabloid journalist Charles Yates, two big Scoop6 players, had met in 2003 but were brought together again in remarkable circumstances the following year after a young Coleen McLoughlin, engaged to be married to the superstar footballer, furiously threw her engagement ring into dense undergrowth in a forest near the couple's home.

Brocklebank thought he had found the ring and, while it didn't turn out to be the right one, it did get him a meeting with a group of Sun journalists – one of whom was Yates – tasked with hunting down the missing item. Over a pint and a basket of chicken, Brocklebank decided to use the publicity for his hunt to find the six other winning Scoop6 ticket-holders chasing a £375,000 bonus at Glorious Goodwood. Yates suggested he should turn up at the track in a squirrel suit, which Brocklebank did.

Thus the Squirrel Syndicate was formed and, with it, a new way of targeting the Scoop6 bonus. Whenever Brocklebank, Yates or a handful of other regular Scoop6 players had a winning ticket, they would set about getting the other winners on board to increase all their chances of landing the bonus and the approach has paid handsome dividends.

Malt Or Mash lands the 2007 November Handicap under Ryan MooreCredit: Edward Whitaker

The book provides fascinating insight into how the Squirrel Syndicate plundered one of the sport's most famous bets on regular occasions. There is no beating around the bush by Brocklebank and Yates, who throw the reader straight into that magical autumn of 2007 that culminated in Malt Or Mash's November Handicap victory with £3 million won. Even better would follow two years later, with a record-breaking £3.1m Scoop6 bonus landed on Midlands Grand National day in 2009 – the trusty squirrel suit in tow, of course.

But it is not just a brag fest about their winnings; what really stands out is the real human element to punting through some of the people with whom Brocklebank and Yates join forces.

From Bob Blackhurst's life-changing win at Uttoxeter with the group just three weeks after open-heart surgery to a single mother using nice names to win a bet that allowed her to buy herself and her children a new house, the wonderful tales – and one tragic one – come thick and fast.

Those stories are the crux of the book. Yes, most of the syndicate are expert gamblers in it to win it and do rub shoulders with A-list celebrities and pro punters, but the casual punters at the heart of the sport are just as vital to their success. Everyone can win – perhaps even the syndicate's beloved squirrel in the Mascot Grand National, although you'll have to read the book to find out whether that particular gamble paid off.

It is sure to be a hit with all racing fans and if you do like a bet, who knows – it could even be your guide to a fortune.

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday