A professional gambler dubbed “Enemy Number One” by bookies at racecourses after taking more than £10million off their hands has revealed why he ditched the playboy lifestyle.
Patrick Veitch became infamous around racecourses as his success funded a flash life as he splashed out on flash cars.
HIs career started at Cambridge where he devoted more time to horses than his studies, setting up a tipping line manned by his mates paid £5 an hour, which brought in £10,000 a month by his third year.
Eventually his lifestyle led to a run-in with a criminal who attempted to extort him for tens of thousands of pounds, threatening to cut both his legs off.
The crook was later jailed for almost killing a policeman ane maths whizz Veitch then went to the police and told them everything.
It was then he went into hiding, becoming a recluse who feared for his life and leaving behind the life that had made him famous in gambling circles.
He revealed all in a series of interviews with Star Sports, in which he reflected on his life choices.
He told Star Sports : "It was an enforced change. For many years I needed to make sure I wasn't photographed.
"For a long time I was told that the best place to hide out was in London.
"But even then I needed to make sure that if I saw someone, I knew I had my explanations ready, like 'Oh, I have just popped into London for the day'.
"Even knowing I was in a place with seven million people was more information than I wanted to give out.
"That changed my life.
"I'm not as shadowy these days but it certainly made a change to my outlook on life."
He also gave a number of tips for people with aspirations to follow in his footsteps, such as watching races carefully to double check hunches, making sure of things such as race conditions and how horses fare in longer runs.
He said to "play when the market's wrong" and back horses that you think have a chance but are not being tipped up.
And for Patrick, finding winners was an all-consuming occupation.
He added: “I had a real go at it, as you have to.
“It’s not just the facts, data and opinions, it’s how you apply it.
“Think outside the box, you have to have a real go at it.”
In 2009 the notorious tipster revealed how he took more than £10million from bookies over eight years in his book, Enemy Number One: The Secrets of the UK’s Most Feared Professional Punter.
Such was his wealth, Veitch often travelled to racecourses in his private helicopter, building an impressive collection of cars and homes.
His biggest payday was on one of his own horses, Exponential, who won at Nottingham and at one point was 100-1 to win.
