The "Grand Alliance", the Oireachtas racing syndicate, has backed the Ministers for Agriculture and for Finance, Joe Walsh and Charlie McCreevy, in their battle with the Turf Club.
The 17-strong group may be cross-party (although it has no women and no socialists), but at a meeting last week to discuss the escalating storm, it supported the "innovative nature" of the Government's proposals for the organisation and funding of racing. The Turf Club had an intransigent attitude, it said, and appeared to be more interested in retaining the status quo than in the long-term future of the industry.
"The syndicate recognised the vision of the ministers in their efforts to develop the industry and improve the living standards of all those employed in the sector," a statement said. Such lavish praise for Walsh and McCreevy is surprising, and they are not used to it coming from the Opposition. Although they are both great men for the horses, neither are members of the syndicate. But then three of their Cabinet colleagues, Brian Cowen, James McDaid and Frank Fahey, are members and so is junior minister Noel Davern. Others in the not-so-secret syndicate are FF's G.V. Wright, Billy Kelleher, Brian Mullooly, Eddie Bohan, Rory Kiely and Mick Lanigan; Fine Gaelers Sean Barrett, Michael J Cosgrave, Liam Cosgrave, Joe Doyle, Fintan Coogan and Maurice Manning; and PD Des O'Malley.
Arctic Copper - for there is still only one Dail horse despite much talk of expansion - won the 3.30 at Gowran Park last Saturday. The race was called "Stars of Tomorrow", which pleased the syndicate greatly. Next stop Cheltenham.