Bellewstown Racecourse has teamed up with Drogheda Arts Centre to stage a new theatrical production based on one of the most famous and dramatic betting coups of all time. The staged production is based on events that took place at Bellewstown Racecourse in 1975 when professional gambler Barney Curley staged a betting coup which netted in the region of €300,000.
The world premiere of the drama, which was written by Colm Maher, directed by Paul Hayes and performed by Padraic McIntyre and Gerard Adlum, is called ‘Yellow Sam’ after the horse at the centre of the coup. It will be performed at the race meeting on August 26
th and 27
th before racing at 3pm and after racing at 7pm.
The play celebrates the 40th anniversary of the events of that famous race meeting when Barney Curley asked dozens of his friends to place bets of between £50 and £300 each on Yellow Sam in betting shops throughout the country just before the start of the race.
Central to the success of Curley’s plan was the fact that there was only one phone at the track in those days. A colleague of Barney’s made several calls to keep the phone engaged for as long as possible in the minutes prior to the off to ensure that the on-course bookies were oblivious of all the money being wagered on Yellow Sam who won at 20/1.
Barney Curly is expected to attend the 40
th anniversary celebrations along with Yellow Sam’s jockey on the day, Mick Furlong. Nick Townsend, author of a book on the subject, ‘The Sure Thing’ will also be in attendance. The original phone box and telephone used in the 1975 betting coup will be on display at the two-day meeting.
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Originally Posted by Grey
