Coral Eurobet owns 1,200 betting shops

The Essex-based firm, which has internet and betting shop customers, topped the Sunday Times KPMG Top Track 100 list with turnover of �5.4bn.

Previous winner, retailer John Lewis, was second while the highest newcomer was fourth-placed cash-and-carry firm Booker, with sales of �3.4bn.

Other new entries included Iceland (21st) and the AA (40th).

Furniture retailer DFS, which was taken off the London Stock Exchange by its founder Lord Kirkham in September 2004, was placed 60th.

'Trend to continue'

Other household names to make the list were retailer Debenhams, which was ninth, and cereal maker Weetabix, which was 89th.

Mel Egglenton, head of middle market at KPMG, said the list showed private firms were "vital to the success of the economy".

"The league table also shows that management are increasingly involved as stakeholders in their business and nearly half of the entire 100 companies are private-equity backed," he added.

"We expect this trend to continue in years to come."

The companies generated combined sales of �97bn and employed more than 930,000 people in their latest financial year.

More than half are based in London and the South East, while 22 Midlands firms were included, 13 are based in the North, five in Scotland, four in eastern England and two in the South West.