At Leopardstown yesterday, Bertie Ahern said his new year resolution was to get fit - for the 2007 election, writes Michael O'Regan
The going was tough at Leopardstown yesterday. The morning's heavy rain put a damper on events and punters buttoned up and clutched umbrellas. Mud-spattered jockeys waited patiently to be interviewed by racing journalists.
But one man, at least, did not seem to have a care in the world. Looking relaxed, having spent Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day with his daughters, Georgina and Cecelia, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern studied the form.
Media reports suggested he was fluttering his political eyelashes at Labour and the Greens again, if the FF-PD combination cannot make up the numbers after the next general election.
Labour chief whip Emmet Stagg, looking equally relaxed, was having none of it. "There must be pains in his eyes from all of this," said Mr Stagg.
"He clearly is in love with us. He is looking at the opinion polls and he wants to be in government. It is time Mr Ahern recognised that the FF-Labour divorce is long over."
As he dropped into the Paddy Power hospitality tent, followed by his programme manager Gerry Hickey, the Taoiseach spoke of his New Year resolutions.
"I'm going to have to train a little harder, run more days than in 2006, work a bit harder, if that is possible."
Asked if he hoped to return to the race meeting next year as Taoiseach, Mr Ahern retreated from his courting of Labour and the Greens. "You always hope for the best."
He hoped to be fitter, he said, for the election, "in the summer of 2007".
Councillor Mary Mitchell-O'Connor (PD) was discussing the political as well as equine form with family and friends.
"The PDs have been wrongly written off before. I have no doubt that we will have sufficient seats and be in negotiation with Fianna Fáil after the election."
As Ms Mitchell-O'Connor considered a bet for the champions novice hurdle, a name redolent of Fianna Fáil's founding father, Éamon de Valera, surfaced.
While the spelling was De Valira, the name had a resonance for Fianna Fáil punters during the commentary and he won narrowly. But the cheers subsided as a stewards' inquiry was announced.
And, then, the voice from the public address confirmed that the result stood. Mr Ahern and his colleagues, who included Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey, Minister of State Seán Power, and backbenchers Joe Walsh and GV Wright, may have taken it as a positive omen.
As the heavy rain lifted around lunchtime, punters became more plentiful. And the Celtic Tiger appeared to roll on with the long line of human traffic for the ATM machine. John Dempsey, from Naas, Co Kildare, an attender at Leopardstown for 30 years, said he had spent a half-hour in the queue. "I'll bring more cash next year," he declared, as he made his way to the bar for refreshment.
Perhaps because of the heavy morning rain, the attendance was down, from 20,445 last year to 16,565.
However, the bookmakers did well, with punters spending €2.6 million this year, compared to €2.2 million last year.