GOLD CUP DAY:It was hard to get away from the issue of the day. First, former taoiseach Albert Reynolds told us he did not expect Bertie Ahern to call the general election until after May 8th, the day peace is officially enshrined in democracy in the North.
Enda Kenny, meanwhile, who was entertaining 600 of his troops in the corporate tents, said he can't wait for the off in the election race and that Fine Gael will be putting 30,000 canvassers into the field.
That is 10,000 more people than pushed through the turnstiles here yesterday to be entertained by a great day's racing in blustery conditions which left goose-pimples on the many ladies who took part in the Best Dressed Lady competition.
Yesterday's winner of the €5,000 and a place in Friday's final was Sharon Murray (27), from Bray, Co Wicklow, an auctioneer who was dressed in green.
Her win could not match the popularity of Nina Carberry's 10-1 win on Mick the Man, which brought a roar of delight from the crowd.
There was barely a squeak when an English raider, Neptune Collonges, won the feature race of the day, the Guinness Gold Cup, for his owner John Hales and trainer PF Nicholls.
Nicholls, on his first visit here, kissed his horse and told the assembly: "I kiss my horses more often than my wife."
He also kissed the Gold Cup when it was presented to him by Diageo's Michael Patton - and declared that kissing the cup was "even better than kissing the wife".
SportsThursday: pages 28-29