Winners of Grade 1 feature races at the Cheltenham Festival are usually drawn from a small number of  owners such as JP McManus and Michael O'Leary. In this Cheltenham week series we spotlight business types who dream of upsetting the applecart

From the poker tables to the boardrooms, with a Premier League club to his name and seeking Cheltenham glory, Tony Bloom isn’t your average horse owner.

While the 51-year-old tends to keep a low profile where possible, this football fan with a keen eye for a bet has turned his teenage hobby into a reported billion euro success story.

Bloom’s horse Energumene is second favourite in today’s Queen Mother Chase feature race at Cheltenham.

The betting market suggests that race favourite Edwardstone is the slight favourite over last year's winner, but looking at Bloom's reputation when it comes to gambling you'd be forgiven for backing Energumene all the way.

From his humble beginnings at the arcades and bookmakers of Brighton to making millions through the Asian gambling market, taking in the professional poker tables on the world stage and moving into the boardroom of his hometown club, Bloom's reputation of being a winner in an industry of chance seems unmatched.

In Association with

The Lizard, a nickname Bloom picked up while on the poker circuit, has a number of high profile finishes on the world tour, including a fourth place in the 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, a second place finish at the Poker Million XI event in London in 2010 and he was part of the winning British team at the Poker Nations Cup in 2006.

His talents got noticed in the early 90s after ditching a job as a trader to become a professional gambler, where he caught the eye of bookmaker Victor Chandler, who later went on to become BetVictor.

In the late 90s Chandler introduced Bloom to the Asian market and their handicap system, a system that would see the Lizard bank millions. Bloom then went out on his own setting up a number of online gambling sites during the 2000s, taking time out from professional gambling to play against the world's elite in poker.

Such was his talent at the game, people said he must have been cold-blooded to make such cool decisions, and hence the Lizard was born.

In 2006 the professional gambler set up Starlizard, and although mystery surrounds why he is not named as a director, many speculate that the consultancy agency operates mainly as a gambling advisory to his exclusive gambling syndicate, which was set up around the same time.

Britain’s greatest gambler, as he has been referred to in the past, is reported to use the Asian handicap system to place his bets and it's said he asks for a £2m stake from potential clients to use his services. Using the proprietary odds created by Starlizard, along with his connections, Bloom and his syndicate can make smart high stakes bets, mostly on football matches, across Asia.

Bloom manages to keep his business shrouded in mystery as all of his employees are made to sign strict nondisclosure agreements when they commence working with Starlizard. Some former employees, however, did speak anonymously to Business Insider, where they revealed how the firm operates.

It would seem that people who join the company get the standard market wage for the role they take on, but are incentivised to stay with Starlizard by being offered a share in the firm's winnings.

One former employee told the publication that after overcoming probation employees get the chance to share in the winnings of one of the most successful bettors in the world.

Payments are made twice a year, with employees benefiting to the tune of less than £100 and up to £500k every six months. The amount you receive depends on the number of "stars" you have, or the size of your stake.

Most of the staff who join the syndicate do so for free, with their percentage of the winnings looked on as a bonus. One former employee said: "You could quite easily be getting £10,000 every six months – who would turn that down?"

There is a catch, however, with employees expected to top up the pot if the firm loses money. This doesn't happen too often and with a six-month payout scheme, it's is rare that the staff have to dig into their own pockets.

One worker in the industry explained it: "They don’t beat the market all the time, just enough times."

With things going well for the businessman, Bloom bought a 75% stake in his local club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2009, bringing them back to the Premier League in 2016/17 for the first time in 34 years. Such was his ambition for the Seagulls, Bloom pumped £93m into their stadium along the way so they had the grounds suitable for an English top-flight return.

While much of the man's business is a mystery, it would be no surprise to his syndicate if Energumene upsets the odds once again and reclaims the Queen Mother chase at Cheltenham this year.

Energumene is up against Edwardstone in this one, but the Willie Mullins trained star, who will be wearing the colours of the Seagulls, will have Mullins' number jockey in the saddle, and with prize money of £392,120 at stake for the winner, Townend will be eyeing glory for Energumene today.

MORNING ODDS

Edwardstone 6/4

Energumene 13/8

Editeur Du Gite 5/1

Nube Negra 16/1