A CARPET-fitter from Bolton has won £294,265.65 after staking £12 on seven winning horses.

The haul included Danedream, the 20/1 shock winner of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The punter, who has asked not to be named, also backed three other British winners at the Paris course.

The Bolton Wanderers fan also admitted that after his side’s crushing home defeat to Chelsea he may have been the only man in the town with a smile on his face. He said: “I would have been the only man in Bolton cheering.

“I’m a big football fan, but I reckon I might stick to the horses for the time being.”

He added: “I wouldn’t say I’m a religious ‘form’ student, but I knew Danedream was a certainty. I’d been waiting all week to back it.”

He placed a “super heinz”

bet — a combination of 120 separate bets.

His winning streak started in Paris with Tangerine Trees at 14/1 in the 12.45pm race, followed by Elusive Kate in the 1.20pm at the same venue before Danedream romped home.

Next past the finishing post was The Real Article at Tipperary followed by Nahrain in Paris and Painted Sky at Utoxeter And when Shu Lewis romped home in the 5.45 at Tipperary, his £12 stake was worth almost £300,000.

The punter admitted to having won no more than £200 or £300 before, despite doing the same bet every weekend for more than 20 years.

He said: “I have never even come close to this. To be honest, it’s not sunk in yet and I’ve no idea what I’ll do with the money as I’m still on cloud nine.”

The bet was placed at Labrokes in Tonge Moor.

Manager Nicola Fortey said: “He came in and he wasn’t sure exactly how much he’d won. I told him, and he said ‘Oh, that’s a lot’s’.”

She added: “He watched some of the races on TV, but he doesn’t have Sky, so he was getting some of the results on Teletext.

“He had a couple of drinks last night. I think he’s just in shock.It’s slowly starting to sink in now.

“He came in with his thumbs up and a smile on his face, which you would, wouldn’t you?”

She said the man was in his 50s and a regular at the shop.