Punters Celebrating As Bellamy Blunder Costs Bookies

A leading Scots bookie was robbed of tens of thousands of pounds by a masked gang as he left the Cheltenham Festival.

Freddie Williams, from Ayrshire, was travelling from the racecourse to his hotel when his Jaguar was forced to stop on a country road.

The robbers used crowbars to smash the car's windows before making off with the money after the raid.

Mr Williams, 63, and two passengers in the car were left "very traumatised" as a result.

The Jaguar was brought to a halt by a Vauxhall Cavalier and a Land-Rover. Both vehicles were later found burnt out nearby.

Chief Inspector David Peake, of Gloucestershire Police, said the incident was "very serious."

He added: "An unknown number of individuals wearing balaclavas - believed to be more than one and possibly three - had smashed the Jaguar's windows with crowbars and had stolen a substantial amount of money from the occupants of the Jaguar vehicle."

The bookie has earned the nickname "Fearless" because he's willing to accept huge bets from high-rolling gamblers such as JP McManus.

It's reported that he lost almost £1 million on two McManus winners at the meeting.