THE IRISH were winning before the races even started yesterday when Amanda Kelly's dotty shoes caught the eye of the Ladies' Day judges.
The 33-year-old who lives in Swords, Co Dublin, won the prize for best accessories for her polka dot platform shoes, eye-catching hat and handbag.
Amanda is not a relaxed flier so she had four swift vodkas before the plane landed in Britain on Tuesday. All this while temporarily balancing her enormous hat on her lap.
In a burst of creativity she sowed a row of pearls on to her handbag. "They're beginning to fall off, I think," she said ruefully, before Ryanair's Michael O'Leary bent down to take a closer look at the shoes. "Fantastic," he declared. "Amazing."
Yet he admitted he wasn't a great expert on style. "I wouldn't be hugely interested in the best dressed lady. I'd be much more interested in the horses."
Interesting so that Ryanair sponsored the overall best dressed lady prize - a weekend in Europe.
"We did?" he said surprised. "I didn't know that."
The overall winner, psychiatric nurse Joanne McDonnell from Warrington, wore a canary yellow Karen Millen coat dress. Ryanair is noted for its "no-frills" service so was she concerned that her weekend away might involve extra charges for having a shower, eating or sleeping in a bed?
"Not at all," she said. "You have to be grateful for what you get."
Ruth Bourke-Cross from Baldoyle, Co Dublin, had also dressed up for the day, but noted that the style was not as impressive as it would be at the Irish race meetings. "You go to Leopardstown and it's all really glamorous."
Trainer Jessica Harrington's daughter Kate (18) was looking very glamorous but said she hadn't seen many "glitzy city ladies" yet.
She said the family was more relaxed this year as her mother's horses were outsiders. "So it's not as stressful."
The young jockey is chomping at the bit to get back into the saddle but one major hurdle must first be crossed in June.
"You're not riding in any races until after the Leaving," mother told daughter. So even trainers have to bow to trigonometry.
