HUDDLED around a screen, a small group of five punters quietly plot their next assault on the bookies.

One of them doesn't even know the full name of two of the other members of this exclusive, secretive squad.

They don't meet up in person, they are already placing bets for Cheltenham Festival next year… and they are successful to the tune of tens of thousands.

Kept out of the public eye, they are responsible for some of the biggest wins in recent years.

Punters love nothing more than bashing the bookies.

Well, these guys are the kings of it.

One of them – who goes by the nickname Keyser Soze in reference to the semi-mythical character from hit film The Usual Suspects – contacted Sun Racing to reveal some of their Cheltenham Festival ante post punts for this year.

A £10 bet wish a cash out of just under £600.

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Another £25 punt with a cash out offer of £588.

One £25 stake offered a £914 cash out a few weeks ago.

That's more than £2,000 profit without any of the horses even running!

Mind you, when you see the potential riches on offer, it's no surprise they keep the bets going.

It is a method that has served them well, with one winner last year coming in at close to £30,000.

What's their secret? Well, obviously, they weren't willing to give too much away.

'NO EGOS, PURE HORSE RACING'

But one of those involved in the group told Sun Racing: "I’m betting for Cheltenham all year around.

"I am involved in and created a small group of carefully selected people I have found over the years.

"There's five of us in total and in my opinion these are the best minds when it comes to racing.

"None of them are well known like these podcasters or tipsters on popular Twitter accounts.

"We don't know a great deal about each other's personal lives – we don't want to know.

Cheltenham Festival’s biggest winners

The stable lad who won £1million

Conor Murphy was working for Nicky Henderson when he put £50 on five of his boss' horses.

The bet, placed in the December before Cheltenham, remarkably won in 2012, netting him £1million.

However, it should have been more.

The true payout on his win was £3,151,100 but bookies capped their max payout at £1m.

Former Arsenal star strikes big

Phil Williams started out with the Gunners before successful spells at Crewe and Wigan in the Eighties.

But never did he find the back of the net like when winning £900,000 on his 66-1 outsider.

Williams was so sure Son Of Flicka would win the 2012 Coral Cup he backed the horse all the way into 16-1.

He romped home and, combined with the winnings from the race, turned Williams into an overnight millionaire.

"We just talk pure horse racing. They are very trustworthy guys and there are no egos in there.

"We work hard together and it's horse racing talk all year round. Between the five of us we pretty much have all angles covered."

Pressed further, one of the group said keeping tabs on the times a horse clocks can be important in finding a winner, as well as Cheltenham form.

They said: "I've been doing this for a few years now and I keep a close eye on sectional times, and how well the horses handle different tracks.

"It doesn't bother me what happens through the year, if a horse has a great record at Cheltenham then that's good enough for me."

The potential winnings for some of the trebles range from £48,000 to £117,000.

But if there's one place it can happen then it is Cheltenham – who can forget Paul Dean winning £250,000 from a fiver last year?

Or David Jackson pocketing £113,000 from a £2 bet.

And even if it doesn't happen at Prestbury Park then it could be somewhere else.

The punter added: "Obviously I’m going to be nervous, who wouldn’t?

"I’m potentially looking at serious money.

"But I also feel confident that if it’s not going to happen this year then it might happen at Aintree, or Royal Ascot or the King George or even next Cheltenham."

Let's just hope they leave some winners for the rest of us.

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