Luke Littler eyes £10,000 payday after pocketing big winners at Cheltenham Festival – and going back for Gold Cup glory

LUKE LITTLER will pause his Cheltenham Festival betting spree to chase another big prize on the darts stage — as he aims to become the Sheriff of Nottingham.

However, Jonny Clayton is hoping the teenage sensation might be slightly distracted after spending more time around jockeys than the oche this week.

The 19-year-old star was in sensational form last weekend when he defended his title at the UK Open Darts Championship at Butlin’s Minehead Resort.

That triumph came just days after Littler claimed £10,000 in the Premier League Darts night in Cardiff, beating Clayton in the final to kick-start his campaign and climb to third in the eight-player table.

While the darts have been flying, Littler has also been enjoying himself away from the board. Dressed sharply, he spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival, relaxing at the racecourse with girlfriend Faith and fellow pros Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall.

And putting the darts aside has proved profitable — with several winning bets reportedly bringing in thousands, including one slip worth more than £2,000.

Next up, Littler faces Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals in Nottingham, a venue where he is still chasing his first £10,000 nightly victory.

After that, the world No.1 plans to head straight back to Gloucestershire on Friday to watch the Cheltenham Gold Cup — the highlight of the four-day meeting — rather than travel to Germany for the European Darts Trophy.

Littler said:
“I’ve broken many records. I had a little dry spell, but I think I can say I’m back.

“The form hadn’t quite gone my way in the Premier League, so winning in Cardiff last week meant a lot.

“I don’t think many people expected me to win that night, and I don’t think many people expected me to come to the UK Open and win either.

“I played well in patches and missed a lot of doubles, but if I can win major titles without playing my best, imagine what I can do when I’m at my best.”

Meanwhile, table-topper Clayton — who lifted the Premier League Darts title in 2021 — faces Michael van Gerwen in the last eight in the East Midlands.

Unlike Littler and Humphries, the Welsh veteran has skipped the racing festivities entirely, choosing instead to focus on practice while his rivals enjoy the celebrations.

Clayton joked:
“I’m not really into horses, to be honest. To me, a horse is something that eats grass in a field — I don’t really get the ones running around tracks. I’m not a betting man.

“I’ve seen on social media that they’re doing pretty well there though.

“That’s their thing, but not for me. I came up here a day early while they’re still enjoying the races.

“I need to focus on darts, not horses. Hopefully I’m the favourite on Thursday night!

“I hope they’ve had a great party — maybe they’ll be a bit worse for wear! But knowing them, they’ll still be ready.”