Spotlight on ladies at races — but not furlong
While 20,000 people would be a throng for a Ladies Day at any racecourse in Europe, in Ballybrit it’s just another day. In the West, Thursday means crowds in excess of 34,000. It’s just how they do things up in this part of the world.
Luckily, the biblical downpours of last year were replaced with glorious sunshine for the biggest day of the festival. As always, the horseracing takes somewhat of a backseat on Thursday, with women vastly outnumbering men in the hope of being picked out of the masses for Best- Dressed Lady.
Helen Murphy from Douglas in Cork took the top prize in the end. The secondary school teacher wore a mint-green midi skirt and white top from Coast, which was accessorised with an Aisling Maher multi- coloured pearl necklace and a white disc hat embellished with brooches from Dunnes Stores. She also wore a 1950s vintage Walborg clutch and shoes from Nine West.
“It was really sweet because some of my students were here and I could hear them saying ‘hiya Miss’ when I won, so that was really lovely,” she said.
For her troubles, the Cork woman took the not-too-shabby prize of a one-carat diamond pendant and matching diamond earrings valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryans, Galway, and €1,000 cash. She will also receive a Lancôme Presentation Gift Hamper worth over €500 and a corporate hospitality package for Galway Races October Bank Holiday Racing Festival.
Segregation was in operation in most parts of the course yesterday as men focused on the racing, and nowhere was the atmosphere more electric than Ladbrokes betting shop in the middle of the course. Without even being in Galway, Kanturk’s Michael Winter still got the biggest cheer of the week when last year’s Galway Hurdle winner Miss United took the Group Three Lillie Langtry Stakes on the flat in Goodwood. Sadly, the famous horse broke down after the race and was retired. It’s been quite a few years for the Corkman and thousands of Ballybrit punters had backed Winter’s to do the business for them. If he was loved in Galway after the last two years, they’ll be building a statue to him after Goodwood.
Things are going so well that even Irish football manager Martin O’Neill decided to stay on for an extra day’s racing, revealing that his good luck was all due to his wife, Geraldine.
“She’s been picking for me and it’s working well — long may it continue. It’s a tremendous honour to get to come down before getting back to work next week, we’re both really enjoying it,” he said.
As for the day’s racing, punters saved their best for the big day, with bookies taking a hammering. Barry Orr of Betfair described Thomas Edison’s victory in the Galway Hurdle as “the worst possible result” punters could have had.
“It’s an absolute stinker. Thomas Edison was backed from 6/1 earlier in the day to 7/2 favourite, so that hurts. After a good few days for bookies, today takes the shine off the week,” he said.
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