Barney Curley, racing punter on a grand scale who masterminded a legendary betting coup – obituary
Alongside his professional gambling career, he managed Irish bands and trained in Newmarket, encouraging jockeys including Frankie Dettori
27 May 2021 • 3:19pm
Barney Curley in 1984, two years after he moved to England and took out a licence to train
Credit: Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Barney Curley, who has died aged 81, pulled off one of the most celebrated betting coups in the history of the Turf.
It happened on June 25 1975 at Bellewstown, an obscure racecourse in Co Meath in the Irish Republic. Even more obscure was the horse that, at 20-1, landed the money, an indifferent hurdler called Yellow Sam.
Zaaki, the horse on everyoneâs lips, but how did he get here? By Bruce Clark 03:37am ⢠24 May 2021
So how do you go about buying the hottest box office star in Australia racing right now?
Well you have to call Stu Boman in Newmarket, England and ask him how he landed on Saturdayâs jaw dropping Doomben Cup winner Zaaki from the Tattersallâs Autumn Horses In Training Sale last year.
Over four long days, there were 1625 lots catalogued, in all shapes, sizes, ages and budgets.
Aussies were prevalent on the settling sheet, but there was Lot 706, signed for in a private sale by Blandford Bloodstock, thatâs who Boman works for, and Annabel Neasham for 150,000 Guineas. (Thatâs a quaint English currency so in this short history lesson a guinea equals £1,1s (one pound and one shilling). This is the same as £1.05 in modern money, it was used to price luxury items like cars, suits and jewellery to make them seem less expensive.