Fetlocks flying

There's not a bike nor a pair of Lycra shorts to be sighted anywhere in the country these days, all having departed these shores in confused migration. Forget bikes! This is the time of year when the fetlocks are flying: the season of hooves and hats. Horses, horses, horses, and divil a one on the way to France.

This week, those noble beasts were either to be found racing at Leopardstown on Bank Holiday Monday or jumping at the RDS in the 125th Anniversary Horse Show, which got under way on Wednesday.

The week kicked off on a traditionally showery Bank Holiday Monday, with The Race Against Time for Sudan at Leopardstown. The fundraising event for Concern came together after just six weeks of planning. David Begg, chief executive of Concern, cooked up the idea with John White, manager of Leopardstown Racecourse.

"The best way to get aid into Sudan is by air," explained David, who was looking jet-lagged, having flown back from a week in Sudan only the day before. "The war has displaced huge numbers of people and they're so scattered that planes are the best way of spreading the aid."

Making only her second outing to the races was Minister of State, Liz O'Donnell, who was looking forward to going to Donegal on her holidays. But before she heads off to the hills, she reports that "we'll be rattling every cupboard for funds for Sudan".

Wearing her sash for one of her last social engagements was the current holder of the Rose of Tralee, Sinead Lonergan. Sinead moved back to Ireland from France last year and has just spent three months in the US, visiting the various hybrid-Rose selection centres there. Does she have any advice for the next Rose? "Travel as much as you can and make as many contacts as you can," were Sinead's pragmatic words.

She was accompanied by her e fiance of three weeks, Parisian Frederic Eyzat, who is working for CitiBank here in Dublin. "We're getting married at the end of October, in Tipperary. The French don't believe in long engagements!"

Peter Cassells, the director of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, was hobnobbing with Gerry O'Sullivan, director of corporate affairs for Telecom, one of the sponsors for the event. Brothers Father Jack Finucane, a former chief executive of Concern and Father Aengus Finucane, its current emergencies director, were both present. Father Jack had left off his dog collar for the duration. "I never wear it to the races," he explained.

Whatever about August being a wicked month, it's certainly one for romance. Lorraine Keane of AA Roadwatch was sporting both engagement ring and fiance Wayne Byrne. "To be known as Wayne-and-Lorraine," she joked.

Lorraine has just handed in her notice to the Roadwatch team, as she's leaving to join TV3 in three weeks' time. "It's been brilliant, but I've had no social life for the last three years because of the hours for AA." Lorraine is being employed by TV3 as one of five news anchors - she will be their entertainment correspondent. "I'll be having an overload of the social life soon!"

There was much activity with the binoculars when the sixth race on the card lined up. Paddy Power Bookmakers donated a £1,000 bet to Tracy Piggott to place on the horse of her choice. Win or lose, Concern would still get £1,000 from Paddy Power. Tracy's chosen horse, Gold Chaser, galloped home, bringing with it an extra £2,000 to the charity.

Also along for the day that was in it were RTE's Anne Doyle; playwright Frank McGuinness; Sally Anne Kinahan, Concern's newly-appointed corporate affairs manager, who had her first win at the races on a horse called Coconut Creek; Ger Hennessy of Grainne Byrne Communications; and John Brown of Montague Communications.

The £10 entrance fee for Monday's races went to Concern. In the heel of the hunt - or should that be in the hoof of the race - more than £70,000 was raised.