The agony and ecstasy — just another day at the races

It was agony and ecstasy at Ballybrit yesterday as one Aussie took home €12,000 as Best Dressed Lady — and I missed out on €1,000 by a matter of inches.

To be fair, few were unconcerned by my near miss but the usual melee descended on the Anthony Ryan tent as women of all ages and degrees of fashion taste battled with brollies and champagne flutes to get a look at the winner.

It’s quite a haul from New South Wales for the winner, but 22-year-old Australian Kelli O’Dell was glad to have made it once she got wind of the prize on offer.

Kelli walked away with a one carat diamond solitaire pendant valued at €8,000, a shopping spree with €1,500 in Anthony Ryan’s and €1,000 in cash.

She also received a Lancome presentation gift hamper worth €600 and a corporate hospitality package for the Galway Races October bank holiday weekend.

Not to be sneezed at, Kelli said she was over the moon to have beaten off some pretty stiff competition.

“I was hopeful, when I came out for the day, that I would get selected. I mean if I made the top 40 I would have been delighted but to win is just amazing,” she said.

Kelli wore an Oz-designed Anaessia black lace dress, with champagne underlay, matching sash and butterfly broaches. It was accessorised with black patent Tony Bianco shoes and her grandmother’s black gloves.

But enough about fashion. After years of failure, I came painfully close to winning a massive €1,000 on the Timeform Betfair syndicate-owned Cause of Causes. Trained by Gordon Elliott, a couple of lucky competition winners won a 10% share in the horse for a year.

With only five ever four-year-olds having won the Galway Hurdle in the last half century, Cause of Causes was an 100-1 outsider with Betfair and 25-1 in the ring.

After being offered a share for the day, I was persuaded by Betfair’s Barry Orr to throw a tenner on at 100-1.

Jockey Davy Condon was hopeful of staying in the mid-division before seeing what was left in the others, before going for home. True to form, Cause of Causes was well back for much of the race, going from 12th at the second last to chasing down the leader Rebel Fitz in the home straight.

In an amazing finish, the outsider was pipped by inches. By now, I had lost my reason. So close to €1,000, but so far.

Former Liverpool and Ireland star Jason McAteer was the second footballer to arrive in Ballybrit this week. Just like Wolves player Stephen Hunt, ex-midfielder Jason was making his first trip to the famous racecourse. Sitting with a group of friends in the Champagne tent, Jason is in Ireland not to party but to golf.

“I’ve been to Galway a few times, I love it here. People always ask me about visiting Ireland and going to Dublin, but I tell them to come to Galway.”