Frankie Dettori has recalled drinking pints of Guinness and singing songs in a Galway pub with Barney Curley and a priest.
The Italian jockey was a great friend of the Fermanagh native and once went to a retreat for priests in the West of Ireland with the legendary punter.
He told Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1: "We went to Galway, not the racecourse, the retreat.
"I was only in my early 20s, I didn't know what to expect. I'm a Catholic and obviously I come from Italy, but during the day people people meditated and did their own thing while I was in my room reading a book or something. I don't really remember.
"Then myself, Barney and the priest in the evening went to the local pub to have something to eat and before you know it we had a couple of Guinness, the guitars were out, we were singing songs and I thought 'this is completely the opposite to what I expected'.
"It was an eye-opener and it was an amazing time."
Dettori was speaking ahead of a charity race which is being run in memory of Curley, who died earlier this year, at Bellewstown racecourse on Thursday.
The 50-year-old will partner Trueba for trainer Johnny Murtagh in the Gannons City Recovery And Recycling Services Ltd Supporting DAFA Handicap at the Co Meath track.
Dettori is among the 14 riders taking part in the special race in memory of Curley, who was behind the famous Yellow Sam betting coup at Bellewstown in 1975.
All monies raised will be donated to Barney Curley’s charity, Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA), which he set up in 1996 to support the underprivileged people of Zambia.
Dettori, Jamie Spencer and Shane Kelly, all great friends of Curley, have secured rides in the race.
Spencer will link up with trainer Des Donovan to ride Tipperary Moon, while Kelly will be on the Ado McGuinness-trained Alhaajeb. Jockey Tom Queally is also travelling from England to support the race-day.
Trainer, Johnny Murtagh, said: “I’m delighted to be supporting the race and to have Frankie riding for me in Barney’s honour is a real thrill. Frankie is one of my best mates, he’s had a few rides, but he hasn’t ridden a winner for me yet!
“I went out to Zambia with Barney many years ago and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. I’ve seen at first hand the work the charity does, and it makes such a difference to the lives of so many people. Barney was a great man, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed his company, the wonderful stories he told will live long in my memory.”
A full field of 14 runners and three reserves have been declared for the race with champion jockey Colin Keane taking the ride on the Stormy Jenn for Balbriggan-based Peter Cluskey with apprentices Adam Caffrey, Luke McAteer and Scott McCullough riding recent winners Is That Love, Meishar and Dusty Winds for Ado McGuinness, James McAuley and Pat Murphy respectively.
Curley passed away in May of this year aged 81.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
