Day two of the festival provided a welcome win for Irish punters after the disappointment of Dunguib's shock defeat, writes FRANK MCNALLY In Cheltenham
IT WAS billed as St Patrick's Day at Cheltenham - Ladies Day was not due until Thursday. But the latter event arrived 24 hours early, at least in yesterday's opening race. And insofar as any man got a look-in there, it was not the patron saint.
A side effect of the female one- two in the National Hunt Steeple Chase was that St Patrick was overshadowed on his own feast-day by that other famous Irish holy man - Father Ted.
Already well known as the progenitor of jockey Ruby, Ted Walsh broke new ground with the victory of his daughter Katie, who earned her maiden festival win in a thrilling finish up the Cheltenham hill. And as if that wasn't enough domestic drama, there was the identity of the jockey behind her. Not only is Nina Carberry her close friend: she's also the partner of Katie's "other" brother: Ted Walsh jnr.
The winner spoke afterwards of looking over her shoulder in the closing stages and realising the race was a family affair.
"I couldn't believe it turning in that Nina was coming," she said. "I thought Jesus, of all people, not Nina." But she put her head down and drove to victory. Asked what was said when the two friends hugged after the finish line, the winner had no answer.
"I can't remember. She was crying. I was crying. It didn't matter." Among other things, incidentally, the race emphasised something most women know instinctively: the importance of shoes. Nina Carberry's horse lost one of his at the start and had to run on three. With a full set, he might have reversed the places.
This is not to suggest that either woman would be the type, normally, to worry much about footwear. Asked for the umpteenth time how it felt to win, Katie prefaced her answer with the phrase: "I don't want to sound soft, but . . . " She needn't have worried.
Softness is not a charge that could be levelled against anyone who risks her neck in a four-mile marathon over fences at Cheltenham. But lest the notion persists that "lady riders", as they're still known, are less competitive than their male rivals, both Irish heroines were handed bans for overuse of the whip, Katie for four days, Nina five.
Even if he played second-fiddle to Father Ted, St Patrick was duly recognised on his feast day. Those modern-day missionaries, Horse Racing Ireland, honoured him by greeting every arrival at the track with an offer of free tickets to race meetings in the land of saints and punters. And several race-goers took the trouble of attending yesterday's races in full Patrician regalia.
Among these was Keith Fitzsimons, originally from Dublin, but now a social worker among the Irish in England. Asked why he had gone to the trouble of wearing green robes, a bishop's hat and an orange beard, his reply was less than beatific. "Because I like making a tool of myself."
At least he made the effort, though.
Michael O'Leary, by contrast, came dressed as himself. Even so, his win - with a horse called Weapons Amnesty - was a gift to hecklers in the public gallery.
As he collected the owner's trophy, one long-suffering Ryanair customer shouted: "Charge him a quid for picking it up!" Others inquired how much it would cost him in "excess baggage".
Naturally this only added to the enjoyment for the permanently unabashed Ryanair man, who joined in the banter. Hoarse from shouting the winner home, he nevertheless also managed a sideswipe at his political enemies when he confirmed rumours that he recently sought the name "Hangar Six" for one of his racehorses, but that someone else had beaten him to it.
"I applied for Hangar Six 10 days ago but it was already gone," he said. "It seems to be the story of my life. I wanted 'Useless Government' too, but they wouldn't give me that."
Amid the celebrations, O'Leary fielded a phone call, saying: "Thank you, darling, I love you," to the person on the other end. It was his wife, he said, explaining this rare glimpse of his gentler side. "She's home today, but she'll be here tomorrow for War".
On this last ominous-sounding detail, the Government and the Dublin Airport Authority can relax. "War" is another of his horses: former Gold Cup winner War of Attrition, which runs today.
Still, if the success of Weapons Amnesty suggested a ceasefire from the Ryanair boss, it looks as if the peace will not last long.
Ireland also won yesterday's feature race when Wexford hotelier Patrick Redmond's horse Big Zeb created an upset in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The owner predicted major celebrations in his home town of Gorey, but Gorey was not alone in cheering. The defeat of odds-on favourite Master Minded was yet another dream result for the bookmakers, who were continuing where they left off on Tuesday. Then, it looked like as if they had God on their side. Yesterday, it seemed that St Patrick had deserted the punters too.