Don Butler had a colourful life in bookmaking - a parade of dolly birds, celebrities and PR stunts made him a legend of the racecourses. Here, he recounts his best tales to Dave Fowler, and explains why he now looks to the internet to make his fortune.



Don Butler was born to be a bookie. His earliest memory, from the late 1930s, was his father, a tic-tac in a successful Midland bookmaking team, emptying the 'odd' (the cash box) on to the lounge floor after a day's racing. Young Don would then sort through knee-high piles of banknotes and coins, revelling in the sheer delight of hard cash.



If that wasn't enough to instill a love of bookie's booty, he also knew his father kept a £37,000 float on top of the wardrobe.