Bertie keeps his shirt on at the races
Needing to blow out a few cobwebs from a late first night, my first bet of the day was on Shanks Mare in the four-mile 3.30pm novices stakes from Eyre Square.
A Dublin-based bookie with the same idea had my first tip of the day, Dasher Reilly who fell to respiratory problems half way around and added to my God-awful gambling spree.
It was an appetiser for the big three to come with Common Man and High Flyer alike there to test their luck at Ballybrit.
Chief among the glitterati was an Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who remained tight-lipped about his tips for the week. And what would you know, there he was, winning like it was next year and he was still in charge when his money was on the biggest winner of the day, Diago Garcia. As The Boss once put it, “he is cutest of them all”.
Cuter still was Bertie’s predecessor Albert Reynolds who owned the winner in the second race.
Back in the pen, Ministers John O’Donoghue and Mary Coughlan kept the bill payers happy but spare a thought for the niche parties with no marquee or corporate groupies.
But let’s face it, very few of the 27,685 people travelled for the Fianna Fáil circus and instead had a keener eye on the parade ring.
Galway man Michael Greaney said: “Put your shirt on Absolute Image. Not one of those Charlie Haughey shirts but the one you’re wearing will do fine.”
In fairness, it proved to be the wisest tip of all. With a placed bet, it gave me a profit of €2.
