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Can Wales see off the Aussies in Cardiff? Tim Ireland/PA Wire/Press Association Images
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Gambler who turned a tenner into £38,000 this week, puts £30k on Wales beating Wallabies

This Welsh roofer is gonna have an interesting Saturday.

NOT CONTENT WITH defying the odds to take £38,970 (€46,865) from just a £10 football bet, one patriotic punter has reinvested £30,000 of his winnings on Wales to beat Australia.

Roofing contractor Steve Richards, 56, of Pontypridd, north of Cardiff, defied odds of over 3,800/1 to scoop a £38,970 jackpot with leading British bookmaker Ladbrokes when he managed to correctly predict 12 football results last weekend, with last Saturday’s 11 correct predictions all rolling onto Monday night’s match between West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa, which he needed to end in a draw to land the windfall.

With the Baggies leading 2-0 at half time, Richards fell asleep on the sofa after a tiring day at work, only to be woken at full time by text messages from friends congratulating him after Villa pulled two goals back in the second half to draw.

Believing his luck is still in, Richards has staked £30,000 at 5/6 on a Wales rugby union win at Cardiff on Saturday, even though they’ve lost their last eight Tests against the Wallabies.

Nevertheless, Richards, in a Ladbrokes statement, said: “I can’t see them (Wales) losing.

“I started with a tenner and when your luck is in you should make the most of it. The return of Alex Cuthbert is a huge plus for Wales. I’m extremely confident.”

And he insisted a Wales win would see the end of his extreme punting.

“I won’t go for any more crazy bets, I’ll put the money in the bank and we will leave it there.”

Should Wales emerge victorious, Richards would pocket £55,000 in total.

But no more than two points have separated the sides in their last three meetings and Ladbrokes rate an Australia win on Saturday as an even-money chance, with the draw 18/1.

“We’ve never before seen a display of such confidence,” said Ladbrokes’ Alex Donohue. “They say fortune favours the brave so we’re fully expecting to pay up when Wales win in Cardiff as expected.

“We wish Mr Richards the very best of luck. If he hits us twice in the space of a week we’ll toast the Welsh wizard.”

- © AFP, 2013

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