Master gambler's Westmeath links

The professional gambler and horse trainer who famously put Middleton Park House up for raffle in the 1980s is in the news once again after allegedly masterminding a four horse betting coup that cost bookies over €2.5m.

Fermanagh native Barney Curley has links to all the horses that trumped the form book by winning their races at English meets yesterday. The four horses, which were all returning to the track after long breaks away, were available on a 9000/1 accumlator on Tuesday night before bookies smelled a rat after noticing a surge in bets.

Eye of the Tiger, which was once trained by Curley and was competing in its first race in 480 days, got the ball rolling by winning the 1.30pm in Lingfield, this was followed by victories for Seven Summits in the 1.40pm in Catterick, Indus Valley in the 4.25pm in Kempton and Low Key in the 6.25pm in Kempton.

Three of the horses, Eye of the Tiger, Low Key and Seven Summits, had previously been trained by Curley, while the other, Indus Valley, is trained by his associate Des Donovan.

Yesterday’s success in the latest in long line of highly profitable betting coups by Curley, who first sprang to prominence in 1975 when he won over £300,000 in a race at Bellewstown race course in Meath. In 1984 the colourful Curley made an appearance on the Late Late Show to discuss putting Middleton Park House up as the main prize in a raffle that attracted widespread coverage from the international media. It was reported that Curley made a profit of £1m from the venture.