Dying man predicts National win

Outsider Mon Mome's 100-1 victory surprised pundits

A promise to a dying man led to a Teesside family winning £20,000 on the Grand National.

The Shea family, from Eston in Middlesbrough, placed £250 on Mon Mome as a promise to Danny Shea who died of cancer before the race.

The 66-year-old had been convinced the outsider would defy the odds after watching it in the 2008 Grand National.

He left £250 in a box and made people promise to put it on Mon Mome which won a shock 100-1 victory on Saturday.

The family of the off-shore rigger, who died from kidney cancer five months ago, arranged a complicated spread-betting system.

As he predicted, Mon Mome came first, resulting in a £20,310 payout for 11 members of the family.

Pat Shea said she "couldn't believe" her husband of 40 years had managed to pick the winner.

She said: "He was generally pretty useless at picking winners.

"He didn't have much of a clue though he liked a bet. The best we hoped for was a place.

"I have to say I thought: 'What a waste of money'. But it's what Danny wanted."

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