HORSE RACING fans in Oxford win more bets than punters in any other UK location – with Redditch also in the top ten for knowledgeable enthusiasts.
The study from Paddy Power analysed the results of more than 130 million bets placed on horse races during the last year and found Oxford’s punters have the highest win rate of anyone in the country with 30 per cent.
With the bookie set to crown the first new millionaire of 2021 through its Millionaire Chase competition, other areas with ‘neigh’ bother of backing a winning horse include second-placed Wakefield (28 per cent) and third-placed Stockport (27.7 per cent).
Redditch is ninth in the list with 26.89 per cent, with the North Wales town of Wrexham the only non-English location to feature in the top ten.
Those in Birkenhead and Enfield might be hoping for a change of fortune if they are to start the new year off by pocketing £1m.
Punters from both areas currently have the lowest success rate when having a flutter on the horses with 20.1 per cent and 22.4 per cent respectively.
Despite having a racecourse right on their doorstep, the people of Epsom have also had a ‘mare’ when it comes to backing the right horse, with locals winning 22.9 per cent of the time.
Spokesman Paddy Power said: “This year has been a year to forget so, to help get 2021 off to a better start, we’ve created a competition to give one lucky punter £1m on New Year’s Day.
“Our research suggests the people of Oxford aren’t just into their textbooks – they’re pros at studying the form book too. So, punters from one of the luckiest areas might be foal of optimism and fancy their chances of bagging the £1m on January 1.”
To enter the competition, you need to back the winning horse in one of the weekly Millionaire Chase qualifiers, with the remaining race being the 3.35pm at Ascot on December 19.
For more information on the Millionaire Chase, visit https://news.paddypower.com/horse-racing/2020/12/08/paddy-power-millionaire-chase-how-one-customer-will-win-e1m-on-new-years-day.
