Punters get ‘dig-out’ with homegrown winners

RECESSION? What recession?

It was very much business as usual at Prestbury Park when a capacity crowd saw the Irish rack up four winners on the first day of a festival, as well as an honorary victory in the shape of the Jonjo O’Neill-trained, JP McManus-owned Wichita Lineman.

The Irish were supposed to have stayed at home in their droves — as many as 50% of the normal travelling contingent supposedly keeping their thin-on-the-ground euro in their collective pockets — but those that came were buoyed by the welcome rush of Irish winners.