Scourge of the bookies behind racing's most outrageous sting: A secret syndicate of 100 punters, a scam months in the planning... But the audacious 1975 coup by Barney Curley, who has died at 81, was just the start of an astonishing taleA secret syndicate of 100 punters, a scam months in the planning. The audacious 1975 sting orchestrated by Irish racehorse trainer Barney Curley (left), who died recently aged 81, was just the start of an astonishing story. The 20-1 mount Curley had entered in the three o'clock race at Bellewstown (bottom right), County Meath, that day in June 1975 - a chestnut gelding called Yellow Sam - had never come close to winning before, but 100 punters bet a total of £15,300 on the unfavoured horse and netted Curley a sum that would almost amount to £2m today and landed him Middleton Park House (top right). It wouldn't be the last time the legendary Curley, combined military-style planning and outrageous chutzpah to clean out the bookies; a fraternity he had good reason to despise.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9645711/Remembering-Irish-racehorse-trainer-Barney-Curley-81-orchestrator-1975-Bellewstown-sting.html