A SIGATOKA businessman has hit the jackpot after winning $25,000 in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
According to Grants Betting operations manager Vijendra Sundar, the punter, who wished to remain anonymous, played the quinella.
He placed his $50 bet on Green Moon and Fiorente to finish the race in the top two places.
Sundar said another punter, who did a "significantly small investment" collected $19,000 (being two per cent of the total payout of $969,406) after getting the first four finishes right.
Many local punters were left ruing their luck after favourites Dunaden and Americain failed to shine at Flemmington Race Course in Melbourne, Australia.
Outside favourites Green Moon ridden by Brett Pebble, Fiorente and Jakkalberry stormed through to finish in the top three. Sundar said while they made money on those betting for the favourites to win, they did big payments to some punters who predicted on the outsiders to win.
He said they witnessed a rise in betting with a lot of new punters joining the festivity.
Meanwhile, an Australian punter has turned an 8 cents bet into more than $77,000 ($F142,428.95) after picking the first four finishers in the Melbourne Cup.
"The miraculous bet returned odds of 969,406 to one after the sportsbet.com.au customer put 8c on Green Moon, Fiorente, Jakkalberry and Kelinni to fill the first four positions," the Herald Sun reported.
"Even more incredibly, the bet was the woman's first with the online bookmaker. She spent $1.92 on a number of combinations, with her 8c bet on the four place getters producing the goods."