Melbourne Cup: Lucky West Australian punter takes home whopping $555,441 on trifecta glory

Turning $30 into half a million? It’s the punt of dreams, and one lucky West Australian is living it out after a Melbourne Cup day to remember.

The 2024 running of the ‘race that stops the nation’ was one for the bookies for the most part, as Knight’s Choice shocked the field in a stunning photo finish.

Irish jockey and part-time singer Robbie Dolan timed his run to perfection, claiming Cup glory by a nose over Warp Speed in second and Okita Soushi in third.

Knight’s Choice returned $55.70 for a win and $15.30 for a place on the Western Australian TAB.

Warp Speed and Okita Soushi paid $7.90 and $3.80 respectively for a place.

And with just one $30 bet, a West Aussie returned $555,441 after their trifecta came out on top.

However, if he thought that was good, he was one-upped by another punter who turned $100 into a $3.2 million windfall with Ladbrokes.

The customer remarkably boxed Knight’s Choice, Warp Speed, Okita Soushi and Zardozi for a life-changing result, with Ladbrokes spokesperson Tom Hackett confirming the remarkable wager.

“We congratulate one lucky Ladbrokes punter, who managed to find the first four in the Melbourne Cup,” Hackett said. “They boxed Knight’s Choice, Warp Speed, Okita Soushi and Zardozi and have turned their $100 investment into $3.2 million, which is already in their Ladbrokes account.”

Another lucky punter remarkably turned $1 into $245,513 after triumphing on a first four bid.

Other significant winners included a $5 and $12 first four bet, which collected $68,198 and $163,675, respectively, as well as a $3 mystery combo bet paying out $20,275.

Knight’s Choice delivered New Zealand’s Sheila Laxon, who co-trains the horse with John Symons, a second Melbourne Cup after she claimed the race that stopped the nation with Ethereal back in 2001.