Trainer 'never had a penny' on his 300-1 winning horse

The trainer of a horse which has equalled the UK racing record for longest-priced winner says he "never had a penny on" his winner.

Crokes Cross made her British debut in the two-mile novice hurdle at Kelso on Thursday, coming first with odds of 300-1.

But Stuart Coltherd told Radio Scotland's Mornings with Stephen Jardine he regretted not taking a punt on the horse or her stablemate, Changemyluck, which was also running.

"With having two in the same race I never bothered, so lesson learned - even if it's just a couple of pounds, you're better off have something on them," he said.

Under jockey Jamie Hamilton, Crokes Cross beat better-fancied Changemyluck - who was priced at 5-2 - by a length and a quarter to give Coltherd his first success since March 2025.

The trainer, who is based in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, said he "usually would have a fiver or a tenner on them" which would have made a "nice payday".

"It's just the way the season has went I think. We've not had that many winners. It's been about a year since we had a winner.

"We've just had a lot of seconds and placed horses so I just never bothered," he said.

Coltherd said he knew of other people who had placed bets, including one person who meant to put £5 on Changemyluck but mistakenly backed the winner.

"From thinking she hadn't won anything, all of a sudden she was £1,500 better off," he said.

Ladbrokes spokesman Alex Apati said "just a handful" of bets had been placed on the horse, but the best result recorded was a customer who collected £1.8k from a £5 each-way single.

Crokes Cross shares the record for longest-priced winner with Blowers, which won at the same price at Exeter in December, beating the previous record of 250-1, set at Kelso by Equinoctial in1990.