Barney Curley © Photo Healy Racing
Declan Queally today reflected on his part riding 'the one that got away' in Barney Curley's storied four-horse gamble of 2010, which netted the late trainer £4m but fell short of another £20m.
Riding at Limerick today, Queally lost his right to claim winning the opener on his own 1/6 favourite The Getaway Star and afterwards reflected on another long-odds-on ride.
Curley's 2010 four-horse accumulator involved four horses Agapanthus, Savaronola, Sommersturm and Jeu De Roseau being combined in multiples at early prices, respectively, of 11/2, 4/1, 9/4 and 25/1.
Agapanthus and Savaronola, under Queally, won the opening legs and while Jeu De Roseau would later win the final one at Towcester, Queally's other Wolverhampton mount Sommersturm was beaten in leg three.
Queally reported “I was thinking of Barney on the way here because my mare was 1/6 and Sommersturm ended up going off 1/3 and got beaten!
“Barney called us all back to base that evening for the usual sit-down and chat about the day. He was smiling but said 'the best thing I like about all of this is I thought he was the biggest certainty of them all'.
“He just laughed that evening and even though he had won £4m, I had cost him £20m! The biggest cert got beaten but it was brilliant.”
Regarding Sommersturm, Queally, a brother of leading flat jockey Tom Queally, added “it was a combination of the horse not travelling and maybe me falling asleep a little but he just didn't go on the day.
“He won a couple of claimers for David Evans after that but was no good.”
Queally also paid tribute to colourful Curley, who passed away on Sunday, saying “I rode my first winner for Barney as well, when I was 16 in Windsor as an amateur and still at school. I spent two summers with him and he was brilliant for our family and we'll miss him.”
