Tony Collins, man at the heart of the Gay Future betting coup, dies aged 89

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Tony Collins, who became famous alongside a band of conspirators and trainer Edward O'Grady for his role in the Gay Future betting coup, died on Sunday aged 89.

Collins shot to fame when he played a significant part in a betting scandal at Cartmel on August bank holiday Monday, 1974. The scandal was orchestrated by Tony Murphy, a construction businessman from Cork known for driving a gold Rolls-Royce, who plotted an idea to turn over bookmakers in Britain. 

The plan that was hatched involved two horses, two jockeys and two trainers, with O'Grady featuring prominently in the incident. A horse purporting to be Gay Future was transferred from O'Grady's yard in County Tipperary to Collins, based in Troon, Ayrshire, because rules stated that horses needed to be with a trainer for at least 28 days before they ran.

• Gay Future, the Cartmel coup and why it went down in racing folklore 

However, the horse who arrived in Scotland was a substitute who posed as Gay Future until his run at Cartmel. Two days before the race, Gay Future was brought to Britain, before being put into a horsebox belonging to Collins on a country road, just off the M6, and heading to the track.

Tony Collins has died aged 89

He was one of three intended runners for Collins on a busy bank holiday Monday, and this led to members of the 'Cork Mafia' flying to London and placing bets on Gay Future, adding him to doubles and trebles with the yard's other two horses.

The other two horses, however, were declared non-runners, meaning the bets turned into singles on Gay Future. The money continued to come for the horse at Cartmel, and after a late jockey change from 7lb claimer Jimmy McNeill to talented Irish amateur Tim Jones – also part of the plan – the 10-1 shot bolted up by 15 lengths.

The remarkable story, which became the subject of the film Murphy's Stroke, was released in 1980, starring Pierce Brosnan. Murphy and Collins were found guilty of defrauding bookmakers, but the others involved were cleared before a trial took place.

A thanksgiving service for Collins will take place at noon on Thursday, March 19, at St Mary' the Virgin church, East Haddon, Northants, NN6 8BU.

Read these next:

Gay Future, the Cartmel coup and why it went down in racing folklore 

'It was for more than the craic. It was for the money' - 50 years on, the Gay Future gambling coup is no less extraordinary 

Family of Gay Future's owner mark coup anniversary with 'miracle' winner back at Cartmel