BARNEY CURLEY is a legend among punters.

A man who has meticulously plotted and put together a series of betting coups that have had bookmakers crying into their pillows at night.

An enigma on the track, Nick Townsend tries to capture a sense of his personality by recounting his life story – and his most spectacular gambles – in this biography.

Townsend, who wrote an interesting biography of Middleham trainer Mark Johnston, clearly has a close and deep relationship with Curley.

He’s up front about that from the start but still lionises his subject.

From the very outset, Curley is portrayed as a heroic figure.

But despite that obvious leaning, this is an enthralling read, extremely entertaining, and a revealing insight into one of horse racing’s most colourful, and controversial, characters.