Barney Curley: The Man Who Beat the Bookies

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Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

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Ross Whitaker

James Bray

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BBC One - Barney Curley: The Man Who Beat the Bookies

How Barney Curley pulled off the greatest gambling coup in horse racing history.

The story of Barney Curley, one of the UK's most celebrated punters and a legend of the turf, and how he pulled off one of the most audacious coups ever seen on a racecourse.

The Yellow Sam coup of 1975 made Barney Curley a household name in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and is still remembered with reverence today by anyone associated with racing. For the first time, Barney tells the incredible story, in his own words, of how he managed to take £2m (inflation-adjusted) off the bookies in one eventful hurdle race in 1975 - without breaking the law. With access to the bookmakers and the jockey, as well as stars of racing such as Frankie Dettori and Ian Balding, this is the definitive story of one of the great characters of the turf.

Barney went on to win many other massive bets, famously raffling his mansion and as recently as 2016 making millions from a carefully planned accumulator bet. But he was just as famous for his charity, spending most of his time in the last decade directing the building of schools and hospitals in Zambia. This is the story of a man who won millions, only to voluntarily give them away.


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Barney Curley: The Man Who Beat the Bookies

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