Dettori and Mullins announce Curley Cup teams
The action is free to watch at Bellewstown
Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins have named their teams for the Curley Cup
Retiring star Frankie Dettori and champion trainer Willie Mullins have announced their respective teams for the upcoming Barney Curley Charity Cup next Wednesday, when admission will be free of charge.
In the second staging of the event at Bellewstown Racecourse, the pair have announced seven-strong teams which include top jockeys such as Chris Hayes and Colin Keane.
The teams will go head-to-head over two races, sponsored by The Gallagher Group and Gannon City Recovery & Recycling Services Limited respectively.
There will be a points system, with the first six horses placed earning points.
The winning horse will receive 20 points, the runner-up 10 points, the third-placed horse five points, with three points to fourth, two to fifth and one to sixth.
The team that accumulates the highest number of points across the two races will lift the Barney Curley Charity Cup and be crowned the Barney Curley Charity Cup winners.
The teams are as follows:
Frankie Dettori’s Team: Chris Hayes, Ronan Whelan, Shane Foley, Jamie Spencer, Tom Queally, Wesley Joyce, Robert Whearty
Willie Mullins’ Team: Colin Keane, Dylan Browne Mc Monagle, Gary Carroll, Ben Coen, Gavin Ryan, James G Ryan, Siobhan Rutledge
Dettori said: “It is great to be back in Bellewstown this year for the second running of the Barney Curley Charity Cup and I have picked a team that will give us every chance to lift the cup.
“Jamie, Shane and Tom, all great friends of Barney, are once again travelling over from the UK especially for this event.
“It’s great to have Wesley back riding after all he has been through and with his determination and fighting spirit he will be a great addition to the team. And with local man Robert Whearty in the team, I’m confident we will be in a great position to retain the cup.”
Mullins said: “The pressure is on the home team to win the Barney Curley Charity Cup so I’ve picked a very competitive team, with a great spread of experience, who all know what it takes to win.
“With James and Siobhan being local to Bellewstown, they are very familiar with the track and it’s great to have that local knowledge on the team.
“Rachael and Colin are well used to breaking glass ceilings while Wayne, Declan, Shane and Dylan have been racking up the winners this year.
"We are going to give it our all, in memory of Barney and the great work he did with Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA).”