An hour before the £100,000 Compaq Galway Plate and the Taoiseach is offering a hot tip to everyone he meets. The horse's name is Super Franky and Bertie knows the trainer and his family.

"They're from Limerick; decent honest people," he says. The Taoiseach has already laid a bet but he won't disclose how much except to say it wasn't substantial. "I'd be too frightened for that."

Mr Ahern's word obviously holds sway at Ballybrit. Super Franky opens at 8-1 but ends up 5-1 favourite. The Cabinet, however, is not as one on the matter. The Tanaiste is on Feeling Grand. The Sports Minister, Jim McDaid, fancies Palette.

The owners and trainers of the 22-strong field watch the race on a giant television screen in the parade ring. Super Franky does nothing. He is later found to have breathing problems. In the final furlong, it's between four horses. Dovaly, a 20-1 shot, emerges victorious by three lengths.

There are shouts of "Good man, Tom!" when his jockey, Tom Rudd, arrives at the winners' enclosure.

"It's brilliant. I can't believe it," says the winning owner, Sean Mulryan from Peak, Co Roscommon. "I'm still in a state of shock. He missed the Irish National because of an injury. For this to happen is wonderful. I can't stop shaking."

A crowd of Mr Mulryan's friends, who admit to having laid more than a few pounds on Dovaly, start singing The West's Awake.

"That horse was bought accidentally over a pint," explains Pat Bailey. "He's going places. We're taking him to the Grand National at Aintree now."