Builder wins bet on Epsom Derby thanks to 'spooky' 62-year-old horse racing tip from time capsule

A construction worker in London has hit the jackpot after a 62-year-old horse racing tip, discovered in a time capsule, proved uncannily accurate. Josh Smalls, a site manager who moved to London from Northern Ireland, placed a £20 bet on a horse named Christmas Day, following advice found in a capsule unearthed during renovations in Crystal Palace Park.

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It was very exciting. I was like a child on Christmas Day. To find a piece of history like that - and for it to link up so well with the horse this year - it was kind of spooky.

The time capsule, discovered beneath a statue, contained four old coins and a handwritten note dated 1964. The note mentioned that the coins were winnings from a horse named Santa Claus that ran that year and urged the finder to bet on a horse with a similar name. Smalls, who has a background in horse racing through his uncle, a trainer, found the tip "spooky" and noted the lack of other Christmassy-named horses in recent years.

Christmas Day, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ronan Whelan, romped home to victory at 7-1 odds in the Epsom Derby on Saturday. The Crystal Palace Park Trust shared their astonishment on social media, stating, "What just happened? The park's time capsule prophecy came true."

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What just happened? The park's time capsule prophecy came true.

The prescient note was unearthed on April 15 by contractor Craciun Marius Dorin. Coincidentally, Dorin's Romanian surname, "Craciun," translates to "Christmas." He immediately passed the discovery to Smalls. Bromley Mayor Christine Harris also placed a £15 bet on Christmas Day, with potential winnings earmarked for local charities.

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I'm Romanian and Craciun in Romanian actually means Christmas - isn't that crazy?