EUROMILLIONS winner Matt Rogers has revealed he is having a Lotto fun after amassing a stable of eight horses.
Jackpot scooper Matt, who shared a mega €175.4million top prize with eight siblings, is gee-gee’d up after purchasing a portfolio of racing steeds.
The budding horse owner today lifts the lid on how he is having a nag-nificient time owning a collection of runners, including Lisnamult Lad, Break My Soul and Tankardstown Diva.
Minted Matt, who loves to travel to the racetrack by helicopter, has landed tens of thousands of euro in prize money with his horses.
In an exclusive interview with The Irish Sun, the lucky punter told how he recently went up against legendary race horse owner JP McManus and trainer Willie Mullins, narrowly losing out on a first place finish in the final straight.
JP and Mullins teamed up to win the UK Topham Handicap Chase with Gentleman De Mee at Aintree in April.
But it was Matt’s mount Lisnamult Lad who looked to have the race won when taking up the running after the last.
Speaking to The Irish Sun, Matt opened up on how a loose horse derailed a dream triumph.
He told us: “I’ve eight horses now. It’s my big interest.
“One (Lisnamult Lad) was second in a top chase in England.
“One of Mullins’ horses beat him. He (Lisnamult Lad) had it won. You know when you come to the elbow? There was a loose horse. And he went across and brought him out that way. And when he came to the elbow, he brought him out the other way.
“And Mullins’ horse just came up and took him under the line. He could have won by about three lengths. It was a tough one for Lisnamult Lad.”
Gentleman De Mee, priced at 14/1, ensured the Mullins bandwagon rolled on in the Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree in April.
Mullins’ nine-year-old swooped late under jockey Mark Walsh to nick the win amid high drama in the closing stages of the race on the famous course.
Lisnamult Lad’s rider Johnny Burke touched down clear after the last and had victory in his sights — only for it to be snatched away from him by the riderless Ash Tree Meadow.
CRUEL TWIST
In a cruel twist for Matt’s 21/1 shot Lisnamult Lad, the loose horse proved too tough to avoid for pilot Burke.
He had to check his momentum, allowing rival rider Walsh to bridge the gap and emerge victorious by three-quarters of a length.
But despite the bitter blow, Matt revealed he gets a buzz out of watching his horses in action.
“I’ve eight horses now. It’s my big interest.”
Matt Rogers
He told us: “I go down the country and that.
“We went down to Listowel in a helicopter and that. I’ve eight horses now.
“I’ve a yearling and a foal was born there about two weeks ago.
“The horses are my big interest.”
Loaded Matt shared a €175.4million EuroMillions jackpot with eight siblings in February 2019.
PURCHASES MADE
The modest multi-millionaire has shunned mansions to remain in his native village in north Co Dublin.
And he snubbed sports cars to snap up a Peugeot SUV.
Matt, along with his three brothers and five sisters, divvied up their mega loot after buying their ticket in Les Reilly’s Daybreak on Main Street in Naul.
The clan are mostly retired and living between Naul, in north Co Dublin, and the nearby villages of Duleek and Bellewstown, Co Meath.
CELEBRATION FEAST
The Irish Sun previously revealed how the lucky siblings, including Christine Rogers, celebrated their monster win with a €12.50 carvery.
We also told how sister Kathleen Sheridan dipped into her share to upgrade her old Mazda2 to a Mazda CX-5.
And rather than upping sticks to a fancy new pad, Matt has stayed put at the farmyard where he and his brothers and sisters grew up.
HOME RENOVATION
He spent months renovating the site – and made do with living in an outbuilding while works were being carried out.
Proud Matt recently showed The Irish Sun the finished job, which features a bungalow with its own bar and a sprawling greenhouse out the back.
He told how the clan have not gone jack-potty since landing the EuroMillions, with holidays including budget breaks to the Czech Republic and Spain.
And he vowed never to move from his beloved native village.
Matt told The Irish Sun: “I’m the same as usual. Why change?”
