Bellewstown Racecourse will be forever synonymous with Barney Curley who masterminded the most famous betting coup in the history of Irish racing with the successful execution of the Yellow Sam coup in 1975.
Ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of this landmark event in 2025, Bellewstown Racecourse have announced details of the inaugural running of the Barney Curley DAFA Apprentice series Bursary.
The programme will be restricted to apprentices who have ridden less than twenty winners at the start of the 2024 turf season and will consist of six races starting at Bellewstown on April 13th, moving to Roscommon in May, Gowran Park in June, two other dates to be confirmed , with the series finale to be held at Bellewstown on October 2nd.
On each race day, a senior jockey will walk the course with the participating apprentices and also the stewards will invite them into the steward’s room to review the running of the race.
Points will be awarded to riders after each race according to finishing positions as follows:
1st =25pt, 2nd = 18 pts,3rd = 15 pts, 4th = 12 pts, 5th = 10 pts, 6th = 8pts, 7th = 6pts, 8th = 3pts, 9th = 2pts, 10th = 1pt. The winning Jockey of each series race will receive an additional 5 EQUUIP funded hours with their Jockey Coach.
The overall winner of the series will receive the following:
- An additional 10 EQUUIP funded hours with their Jockey Coach,
- A day of one-to-one tuition at RACE.
- High Performance analysis with Wayne Middleton and Gavin Egan.
- A visit to their Masters yard with the mobile unit to provide onsite training for themselves and other members of staff within the yard.
- A session with Dr. Ciara Losty Sports Psychologist.
- The rider can also avail of a one-to-one financial literacy session from Gateway consultants.
- In Addition, they will receive a financial bursary to pay for a working holiday to be mentored by a leading jockey at their yard (subject to permission of the apprentices Master)
Alan Delany, Vice-Chair of Bellewstown racecourse, said, “we believe this apprentice race series is a fitting legacy to the memory of Barney Curley who was globally renowned and respected for his nurturing, mentoring and coaching of young, immature apprentice jockeys over many decades”.
Frankie Dettori a regular visitor to Bellewstown expressed his delight at the creation of the apprentice bursary series and wished it every success.
Barney Curley’s family said, “we are thrilled to continue our family’s enduring association with Bellewstown Racecourse. We are particularly pleased to be associated with the Apprentice series for young aspiring jockeys a subject that was near and dear to my father’s beliefs and values”.
Jack Gogarty, chairman of Bellewstown racecourse, also expressed his gratitude to the HRI racing department, EQUUIP , Dr. Jennifer Pugh, chief medical officer of IHRB for their support and advice toward developing the Apprentice Series concept.
For further information, please contact Bellewstown General Manager, Kevin Coleman on 087-686 0639, email – bellewstownraces@gmail.com.
