West Country bookie Andy Smith is renowned for laying some of the thickest bets south of the M4. At Cheltenham three years ago, he took £250,000 at the meeting, won about sixty large on the final day, and then went down to run a book at the point-to-point at Holnicote on the Saturday. ‘There’s no technology down there. I had a pencil behind my ear all afternoon, but I was only about £3 out at the end of it.’

A passionate National Hunt racing fan, 43- year-old Smith has been calling the odds for 31 years. He started out with his Bristolian father Chris Smith when he was barely out of primary school.