Rich Ricci is the £100m banker and ‘maddest f***er on the planet’ with the most mysterious Cheltenham Festival horse

FOR a guy worth £100million, you couldn't pick a better name than Rich Ricci.

And you couldn't make it up that despite being worth nine figures, he still buys lottery tickets.

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Yet that is exactly the crazy world this controversial racehorse owner - who calls himself the 'maddest f***er on the planet' - lives in.

But don't be fooled by the shades, the tweed suits and larger-than-life personality of this former Barclays banker.

American Ricci, 58, is one of the shrewdest investors around - and at this year's Cheltenham Festival he owns the biggest 'talking horse' of the lot.

But first, a bit of history.

At the 2016 Cheltenham Festival, Ricci bagged just shy of £400,000 in one day after three of his horses won.

Douvan, Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag all romped home to land him £392,529 in prize money.

And where Ricci goes, punters follow.

Bookies reckon they lost £10million on Ricci's horses that day as bettors went head over heels for his runners, all trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by the now retired Ruby Walsh.

Had another of his horses Min won on the same day - it finished second - then bookies would have been rinsed for £50m.

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And they will no doubt be shaking in their boots again this year, with Ricci's fleet including a host of absolute superstars - plus one horse who could be the ultimate surprise.

Even Ricci himself has not seen Gaelic Warrior, the 5-2 favourite for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap, who has been smashed off the boards.

The French horse has never run in Britain, let alone Cheltenham, but word has got out from Willie Mullins' yard that he is something special.

On top of that, Ricci boasts Champion Chase hopeful Chacun Pour Soi, Triumph favourite Vauban and Gold Cup contender Royalle Pagaille.

Yet despite all his success with thoroughbreds, Ricci has been depicted as the poster boy of banking excess.

Back in 2013 he was given a £44m payout when he left Barclays after previously being co-chief executive of their investment banking arm.

Famously averse to interviews and press, one director previously summed up what they knew of Ricci in just 11 words.

They said: "He's bald and he gets s*** done, that's all we know."

He also makes an awful lot of money.

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Married to Susannah, his English wife, the pair used to travel to Dublin via private jet every weekend to watch their horses run.

Ricci's rise is quite something, especially considering his old university don't even consider him worthy of mentioning on their list of alumni.

It was in the financial crash of 2008 that Ricci shone - and emerged from the wreckage a richer man.

He was part of the so-called 'deal of the decade' struck between Barclays and Lehman Brothers that saw the businesses come together.

Despite what some critics might say, Ricci is undoubtedly a hugely popular and much loved member of the racing community, adored by punters by punters.

He also donates large sums of winnings to charity and even displayed a darkly comic side.

One of his horses was called Fatcatinthehat.

Fitting for a man with the best name in the business.

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Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

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Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org