#Barney Curley

From Hurricane Fly's fourth consecutive Irish Champion Hurdle victory to The New One brushing aside the opposition in Cheltenham's International Hurdle, it has been an exciting year of racing. As 2014 nears its conclusion racing correspondent Marcus Townend reviews the past 12 months of racing, and picks his best race of each month. JANUARY Paul…

JP McManus nods at the white boards at the other end of the office. It's late September in Martinstown and the rain is coming down in great grey sheets outside. "Our horses in training," he says, gesturing at the names of hundreds of thoroughbreds and their respective trainers. When asked the number he replies, "Marian Finucane once asked me how…

Empress Josephine ate up ground in the last furlong to give trainer Aidan O'Brien his 10th win in the Irish 1000 Guineas and jockey Seamie Heffernan his fifth, when pipping stablemate Joan of Arc by a short head at the Curragh on Sunday. The 14-1 winner looks likely to head to Royal Ascot for the Coronation Stakes again over a mile, while Joan Of…

John and Kitty Fairley, owners of Highfield Princess, receive the Yorkshire Horse of the Year Award from Eleanor Tomlinson Highfield Princess, who won Group 1s in three different countries in the space of 35 days across August and September, was crowned the Yorkshire Horse of the Year at the Go Racing In Yorkshire Awards on Thursday. The John…

Heading for a holiday in Sardinia, I remembered that the last time we were there our engine-less, drifting boat was rescued by a Mr Dettori. Mrs Oakley's relief was tempered only by my disappointment that our saviour wasn't Frankie or even a relative. This time it looks as though it is Frankie, the world's favourite sardine, who might need…

Frankie Dettori will be back at Bellewstown today, for the inaugural running of the Barney Curley Charity Cup, in aid of DAFA. The Italian conquered the County Meath track when winning on Trueba for Johnny Murtagh. But, today, he'll return to the Hill of Crockafotha in the role of team-captain for the two-race challenge against a team captained by…

There are six race meetings across the UK and Ireland on Wednesday, including the inaugural Barney Curley Charity Cup at Bellewstown where Willie Mullins and Frankie Dettori are team captains. The action begins at Nottingham (1.00-4.30pm), which is one of five Flat cards along with Catterick (1.44-5.09), Bellewstown (2.00-5.25), Kempton (5.00-8.30)…

Barney Curley, one of the most colourful characters in horse racing, has died aged 81. Born in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh, he became a successful horse trainer and was famed for his betting coup involving the horse Yellow Sam in 1975. In later years he founded and dedicated his time to the charity Direct Aid For Africa to support people in…

Two 20-1 local winners in the past week - Mucho Dinero at Durbanville and Alittlebitnaughty at Greyville - brought to mind legendary rascal of racing Barney Curley. The long odds and the names triggered the memory, for the Irishman made mucho money by being a bit naughty. If Queen Elizabeth was at one end of the Brit racing see-saw, Curley was at…

Frankie Dettori is making a rare foray across the Irish Sea this afternoon - but why is the legendary jockey set to ride in the 3.05 at Bellewstown? Well, it's all for a good cause as the iconic Italian is taking part in a charity race run in memory of famed gambler and ex-trainer Barney Curley, who helped guide his career. Dettori will take the…