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I read online earlier this afternoon that he had died. It does now appear to have been confirmed by a national newspaper:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/bookmaker-dennis-death-tv-mccririck-33907061.amp
RIP
Great character
I put up a few youtube videos a while backRIP Barry..
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Sad news for all regular Channel 4 Racing viewers of a bygone era
That clip on the Mirror website from just before Motivator’s 2005 Derby victory shows how they succeeded in bringing a lot of colour to the sport and broadening its appeal.Characters like Barry and his “ally” Big Mac are a thing of the past unfortunately. I’d forgotten about Barry’s Bismark he certainly put some colour into C4 racing.
The more I know the less I understand.
I have to be honest and say I thought Barry Dennis was occasionally a bit overbearing and boorish. However, he was undoubtedly a character and found his niche in that Channel 4 era. I doubt he would have been allowed to work in the changed media environment of today, rather like John McCririck.
Watching them together, it was the last hurrah of the betting ring. A place which used to be the beating heart of the racecourse. Now it is a shadow of its former self, killed off by the exchanges. There aren’t really any bookmakers like Dennis standing on course anymore.
For all those that remember him from his all too brief media ‘career’ will feel a twinge of sadness especially those of us of that bygone era zilzal refers.
Love him or hate him you certainly couldn’t ignore his insightful comments on betting,so sad to hear of his passing.The rings haven’t been the same since the introduction of electronic betting and characters like Barry will be sorely missed.
Condolences to his friends & family
good luck to allI was very sad to read this news.
Barry was a former poster on TRF back in the day.
Although I never met him in person I did have an encounter which is worth recalling.
In the mid 2000s (about 2007) I was looking to invest some money I’d come into in something betting industry related that I’d been mulling over. I messaged Barry on here for some advice on it, expecting either no reply or a short ‘do it’ or ‘don’t do it’ response.
I got a quick reply asking me to give him a call – which I did. We talked for about half an hour while he talked me through what he saw as the pros and (mostly) cons of what I was thinking about. Everything he said made great sense and it also made me realise how little I actually knew about how the business of bookmaking and, in particular, the world of bookmakers shops. He knew a lot, an awful lot.
It was great advice, probably saved me from naively losing a tidy sum, and he had nothing to gain from giving it.A great character who, along with McRirick, always injected some energy into Channel Four racing when he was on.
There was a good documentary on him which you can view on Youtube (link below)RIP Barry Dennis,
DavidA real character and he will be sadly missed.
He always put up the best prices on his board when he came to Newmarket but he was never overkeen on taking bets under £5 ew. He was always making cheeky quips whenever I won money off him, I liked him and another face at the races gone.
RIP Barry Dennis
The cheeky chappy of ITV Racing
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Barry could appear occasionally boorish and overbearing on TV, but he was up against Big Mac at the time. I do remember him on the forum, David. Always had an opinion. He didn’t have a good opinion of one of the Timeform greats and put his money where his mouth is. I sometimes met and bet with him at the races. He allowed me a much bigger price than anyone else was offering for a three figure ante-post bet on the “Timeform great”…
Harbinger… For the Arc.
RIP Barry.
Value Is EverythingI say this neither in jest or in disrespect but I assume he didn’t give you your stake back on Harbinger ?
He was someone in the game like so many others.
RIP.
Father Jack… That’s the whole point of Ante Post
If Harbinger had run and gone off odds on would Ginger have taken the price backGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
These days Farmer Jack, I have heard of occasional cases where a bookmaker has refunded an ante-post bet when an injury has ended a horse’s career. But no, Barry did not refund the money. Nor would I expect him to. Especially when he gave me much bigger odds than anywhere else. If I remember correctly he gave me 3/1 when the best elsewhere was 2/1 (8% bigger).
Besides – I’d assessed whether the price was worth the risk. Knowing Harbinger hadn’t seen the racecourse until the Wood Ditton (2nd) at three. Won his maiden in May impressively and fancied for the Derby / King Edward. But missed both a trial and those two races with a muscle-tear. Next seen – only his third ever start – winning the Gordon Stakes in late at Goodwood and was made St Leger favourite… But again, something went wrong when a short priced fav in the Voltigeur, trailing in 27 lengths behind. Then in October was only 3rd in the St Simon – the first and only time in a tongue tie. So was it a breathing problem at York?
So Harbinger’s 140 Timeform rating in the King George meant that to my mind the biggest danger to not winning the Arc was through injury. Not that his 2 year old no show and interrupted 3 year old campaign could predict a fracture of the cannon-bone.
We both knew the rules of ante-post and I never asked for my money back.
Value Is EverythingNice obituary in The Telegraph:
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