A legend of the turf for whom personal tragedy led to his raising millions of pounds to transform thousands of lives in Zambia
The turf and its betting rings have been an irresistible attraction to many colourful and controversial characters over the last three centuries and Barney Curley, who died on Sunday at the age of 81, deserves to be remembered as perhaps the greatest gambler of them all.
The Yellow Sam coup in 1975, when Curley arranged for an accomplice to occupy the only phone at Bellewstown racecourse to prevent off-course bookies sending money to the track to shorten Yellow Sam’s odds, secured his legendary status among punters almost half a century ago.