IT WAS as if the big freeze had never happened when, two days behind schedule, the Leopardstown Christmas festival finally began.
The sun shone on a perfectly green racecourse. Mild temperatures made hats and gloves unnecessary.
And the only hint of how big the thaw had been was the going: officially “soft to heavy” before the first race and downgraded to “heavy” thereafter.
Then came another hint, in the form of a public announcement. Midway through the afternoon, racecourse management was forced to apologise for the fact that there was “no water in the toilets”, as Leopardstown became the latest victim of the post-deluge drought.
The thousands of homes similarly afflicted were one possible explanation for the disappointing crowd. At 10,278, it was down 4,000 on last year, itself a big decrease on 2008. The problems at airports and elsewhere clearly hadn’t helped.
But a colleague whose own home had been without water for several days wondered if many had stayed away because they couldn’t shower beforehand.
Hygiene of a kind, as usual, was promised by the bookmakers. Those famous philanthropists are normally only too happy to take anyone to the cleaners. And the “holly and ivy” punters of the Christmas festival – typically once- a-year racecourse visitor – often make willing victims. Not yesterday, however. Maybe it was only the more knowledgeable race-goers who came this year.
In any case, they chose four winning favourites. Pandorama, in the feature Lexus Chase, was the subject of a collective gamble that shrunk his price from 8/1 during the morning to 7/2 joint favourite and he justified that confidence by winning easily under Paul Carberry.
The other feature event – the Woodies DIY Christmas Hurdle – was also won by a favourite. But despite the punters’ success, the racecourse remained somehow subdued. Perhaps this was due to the general state of the country.
At least there was no shortage of effort in the other area of competition yesterday.
Lexus day also features the “Most Stylish Lady” award, the difficulties of winning which must have been added to by the vacillations of the weather.
A few competitors had clearly planned with snow in mind, wearing fur and other warming fabrics. If any colour predominated it was white: even though – two days ago – this would have had a camouflaging effect: not usually a good idea when you’re trying to attract the eye of the judges.
White aside, the other main theme was black, but the competition’s runner-up, Suzanne McGarry from Sligo, combined the two extremes very fetchingly.
Her 1930s black coat was trimmed in such a way that it looked as if her shoulders were above the snow-line: a theme carried on by her hat (designed by milliner Martha Lynn, who herself won last year’s competition, suggesting that even the outfits women wear at Leopardstown now require good breeding).
This year’s winner was Chloe Culleton from New Ross, who in keeping with the times, bought her hat and coat on eBay. The hat – a 1940s model – cost only €9. By contrast, the coat was a whopping €100. Even so, with Penneys shoes and a bag borrowed from her mother, it was an outfit Ajai Chopra would have approved of.
It was also a case of beginner's luck. Not only had Chloe never previously entered a best-dressed competition at the races – where many competitors are recidivists – she had never even been at the races before. Her prize included a €4,000 voucher from Carton House Hotel and a fashion shoot for Irish Tatler.
It may be another sign of the times that politicians are now so thin on the ground. Once ubiquitous at this and all high- profile meetings in Ireland, they were only a rumour yesterday, like the melted snow. That hardy annual Albert Reynolds did make a brief appearance, but he only served to highlight the many absentees.
Another Christmas regular, Bono, also turned up and took a short outing trackside with his wife Ali. Thereafter he stayed in his box, much to the frustration of the celebrity snappers. These had to make do instead with such attractions as new BBC sports personality of the year, AP McCoy, whose attendance would have been more of a story were it not for the fact that he is a jockey.