Fifty Years in the Betting Jungle: Gary Wiltshire hilariously tells all

Gary Wiltshire is a larger-than-life, dictionary definition of a colourful character. He penned an autobiography in 2011, and has come back with a 2025 update covering the ensuing 14 years entitled 'Fifty years in the betting jungle - confessions of an on-course bookie.'

224 pages, 15 chapters, and stories galore from the man inexorably linked to the events of September 28, 1996 at Ascot - Frankie Dettori's incredible Magnificent Seven winners, as the Italian hurtled through the card at accumulated odds of over 25,000/1.

Gary should have been at Worcester that day, but traffic issues meant he rerouted to Ascot instead. Incredibly he was doing ok until the very last race, then decided to go for broke. The last leg for Frankie of this potential miracle after he'd won the first six heats was Fujiyama Crest - a scarcely-considered outsider in the morning.

The sheer weight of cash rolling on to the horse in accas and multiples meant it was in fact going to go off around a 2/1 shot, but that didn't tally with its realistic chance on known form, which was slim. Gary decided to lay it massively as a consequence, reckoning it was terrific business, effectively laying an outsider at a fairly warm favourite's price.

The rest, as they say, is history. The ultra-brave gelded son of American sire Roi Danzig, sent to the front early, held off all-comers to win by a diminishing neck. Frankie entered the annals of legend, and Gary had lost comfortably in excess of £1 million.

The latest book as alluded too above covers Gary's more recent escapades, but obviously in his trademark, entertaining and whimsical way. He's a close friend of Betfred boss Fred Done, and credits the boss, quite simply, with 'saving his life.' "What can you say to someone ….. I shouldn’t be here. Without him, there would have been no book. He saved my life - no question."

I'm pretty certain the above refers to the aftermath of 1996, Fred's support in the years that followed, and Gary's fight for survival. He recalls that testing time; "they say you never see a poor bookie (he certainly was), or a bookie on a bike – there ain’t been a bike big enough yet to hold me!"

Gary dropped in to see Betfred TV's Mark Pearson for a brief 'hello,' and could barely hold back the tears when Mark mentioned Fred (kindly see the little video clip below). Clearly the bond is a very powerful one.

Fifty years in the betting jungle - confessions of an on-course bookie by Gary Wiltshire is published by Weatherby's, ISBN13: 9781915899088, and transports you into the realms of racing, greyhounds, a flapping track coup, even a fishing lake. Be prepared for some sizzling tales, and unforgettable characters.