The Dail horse, aka Arctic Copper, came second at ail horse, aka Artic Arctic Copper, came second at Fairyhouse last Saturday and the 17member, not-so-secret syndicate was thrilled. Since the horse's injury while winning at Gowran Park in November, they had been worried about its performance, so last weekend's placing exceeded expectations, netted them £9,000 - and even beat the people's favourite, Limestone Lad. Many members of the Grand Alliance, a cross-party (no women, no socialists) syndicate of Dail and Seanad members, gathered in the Dail Bar on Wednesday of last week in high good form because immediately after the 8.30 p.m. division, all 17 were off to dine in Ecrivan L'Ecrivain on the occasion of their AGM. Trainer Noel Meade was a guest, and plans for running on the third day of the Leopardstown Christmas festival were finalised. A couple of maverick suggestions for expansion, such as buying a second horse or acquiring a mare and putting her to stud, were shot down. It is a one-horse syndicate, a member told Quidnunc afterwards.