Superstar teenage jockey Billy Loughnane close to tears with his dad after freak 80-1 Royal Ascot winner

INCREDIBLE teenage jockey Billy Loughnane came of age at Royal Ascot – after banging in a freak 80-1 winner in a dramatic photo-finish.

The superstar former champion apprentice, 18, saw off Hollie Doyle in a pulsating finish to the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on day one – then looked close to tears celebrating with his dad.

PA

Superstar teenage jockey Billy Loughnane celebrates his first Royal Ascot winner on freak 80-1 outsider Rashabar[/caption]

While most of the other runners in the six-furlong sprint gravitated to the stands-side rail, Loughnane scorched a path down the outer on Rashabar.

Totally unfancied in the betting before the off, the Brian Meehan-trained two-year-old kept finding more and more under a determined Loughnane.

And he did just enough to hold off Doyle on 40-1 Electrolyte – the official winning margin being just a nose.

While 50-1 Columnist rounded out the top three.

If you stuck a quid on the tricast – the first three horses home – you’d be £83,273 better off.

ITV cameras captured the touching moment Billy shared a big bear hug with his dad and fellow trainer David in the moments after victory.

It was a nice payday for the jockey too, who would have made around £9,000 for his efforts.

A delighted Loughnane said afterwards: “Wow! What a feeling. Brian was very confident.

“My plan was always to go right but the quickest way is a straight line! The horse is very tough and it worked out.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I had won at the line. I saw the big TV and thought I might have just won it but you never know for certain.

“This is the best feeling in the world”

“You grow up watching races like this and it’s always been a dream to win one, my first group race in the UK… it means a lot.”

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