Dream on - HK$100m to play for in Mark 6

One of the largest Mark Six jackpots to date - worth an estimated HK$75 million - went unclaimed last night after the top prize eluded punters for a eighth consecutive draw.

But they can now dream about the next draw, on Friday, when the holder of a single winning ticket could grab a record HK$100 million, after last night's rollover of HK$85,618,703.

Last night the holder of a single winning ticket (had there been one with the numbers 12, 14, 27, 35, 46, 49, plus 31) would have taken home more than the record HK$70.9 million for a single ticket set in September 2003. The largest first prize is the HK$125.2 million draw split between five winners in September 2000.

The higher pools follow an increase in the cost of a single Mark Six bet to HK$10 from HK$5 last November. It was the first rise in eight years and raised the minimum jackpot to HK$8 million from HK$5 million.

Since then, the average number of sales per draw has gone up to HK$45 million from HK$41 million. Last night's turnover topped HK$100 million, according to the Jockey Club's website. The odds, though, remain unchanged, at 13,983,816 to one.

Punter Marco Jorge said at one Jockey Club outlet that one of his colleagues was buying HK$500 worth of tickets and he was going to buy about half as many. 'If no one wins this time I'll probably keep buying until someone does,' he said.