A sour-looking punter was heard saying that "Mick O'Leary has at least one pilot who knows how to land properly - Conor O'Dwyer", as he tore up his docket at the parade ring yesterday where the Ryanair boss was collecting the Gold Cup.
In fairness, his was the only sour face around the place. The punters went mad and the bookies paled as War of Attrition led the field from start to finish to take the Guinness Gold Cup on the second day of the Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival.
Even O'Leary was humbled by the way his dark, rangy horse had galloped his heart out. It was "the thrill of a lifetime" to win a second gold cup to place on his mantelpiece beside the one he took home from Cheltenham just a short time ago. "It will never get better than this. I think I should take up golfing because it has to go downhill from here," said O'Leary as he congratulated his very best pilot, veteran jockey Conor O'Dwyer, who had steered his charge to victory.
There was general agreement in the record-breaking crowd of more than 21,000 that days and performances like yesterdays were rare things and should be cherished.
O'Dwyer blushed when the announcer at the course said he had come home "like a schoolteacher showing his pupils the way".
O'Leary confirmed that his charge would have only one more outing this year, on May 10th at Kilbeggan, where he will be there to be admired, but not to race.
Over in the much maligned Equestrian Centre, there was another kind of race going on.
Fine Gael, it appears, has taken to racing as we approach the final furlongs of an election race which will probably take place sometime around next year's Cheltenham, according to the knowing.
The special guest at the gathering was Fine Gael party leader Enda Kenny, who denied straightaway that his party was trying to get inside Fianna Fáil's rails as those who know more about the sport of kings than anyone else in the country.
"I go to a lot of the smaller meetings. I go to places like Kilbeggan and Ballinrobe and I was down at the Irish Grand National. We Fine Gaelers know our racing," he said.
"Anyhow, this is a real building not a builder's tent like Fianna Fáil have at the Galway races," he laughed.
Fianna Fáil had few official runners at the meeting yesterday. However, Joe Walsh, the former minister for agriculture and food, was here with Senator Donie Cassidy.
Due to the fact that attendance was up by nearly 1,000, that it did not rain, and that in the second-last race a spectacular pile-up resulted in no serious injuries, the organisers were very happy with day two of one of the biggest events in the Midlands.