Auroras Encore’s win took the district’s betters and bookies by surprise.

It was celebration time for bookmakers, with the vast majority of the bets having been placed on more high-profile horses, and big winners few and far-between.

The 11-2 favourite was Seabass, being ridden by Katie Walsh, who was bidding to become the first female jockey to win the world-famous steeplechase.

But the long odds on Auroras Encore mean those who were smart enough – or lucky enough – to spot the winner were quids in.

Marie Reynard, a manager at Betfred’s Market Street branch in Bradford, yesterday said hardly any punters had backed Auroras Encore.

She said: “I don’t think I saw one bet on it. It wasn’t really fancied. A lot of people wanted Seabass, Katie Walsh’s horse.

“But everybody should have had a bit of money on it each way, seeing as it’s a local horse. I don’t know why I didn’t put some money on, but I wish I had!”

Steve Cranston, who runs three Ladbrokes’ branches in Bradford centre, said they had had about ten winners.

He said: “We had a few each-ways, what with it being a big prize. If they placed their bets early enough, we were offering odds of 100-1. We have had a few people going away with a couple of hundred quid.”