Over two hours after winning the Compaq Galway Plate, Ruby Walsh emerged from the stewards' room having been given a two-day suspension for his use of the whip on the big race winner Moscow Express. His reaction said it all.
Asked if he was upset by the ban, a big grin was accompanied by an emphatic "nah". The champion jockey's first Plate experience really was that good.
Judged by the barrowfulls of money that forced Moscow Express's price down to 4 to 1, it was an experience that most of the huge crowd shared but it was also nerve-tingling.
Prominent throughout, Moscow Express first of all had to cope with the English challenger Reaganesque, which he didn't look certain to accomplish, but on the run-in attacks came from all sides.
The favourite Lanturn had faded well before being hampered and unseated after the second last but six horses were covered by three lengths well inside the final furlong.
It is to Moscow Express's credit that he didn't once flinch despite Walsh's pressure and ran out a length ahead of last year's runner up Lucky Town with Nicholls Cross third.
"Winning these big races is a great feeling. I was told to be in the first four or so but he was taking me so well, I actually led for a short time early on," said Walsh.
The instructions were from trainer Frances Crowley, who only took out a licence last year but has matched the achievement of Ann Collen, the only other woman to train a Plate winner. That was Randoss in 1989 but Moscow Express is now likely to be upped in class.
The Kerry National will be next and then a possible clash with See More Business, Florida Pearl and Dorans Pride in the £100,000 race at Down Royal in November. One thing Moscow Express won't lack against the cracks is courage.
"He was a really fit horse but I've never seen him so tired. Ruby gave everything and the horse gave 110 per cent. He's not the hardest to train but he is not the easiest to ride. The jumping practice he got during the winter didn't go astray but he loves summer ground," Crowley said.
JP McManus wasn't too disappointed with Lucky Town taking second for the second year running and said: "It's nice to be second. There are worse places to be and full marks to the winner."
Edward O'Grady said that 10 days' work missed before Nicholls Cross's previous race at Tipperary could have cost him, but the horse finished sound, something that Amlah's connections would have devoutly wished for.
The 1998 winner was pulled up with a circuit to go having severed a tendon, but his owners hope to save their grey horse for retirement. Reaganesque stayed on for fourth but faces up to a year on the sidelines after breaking down.
Both Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld provided a brace of winners apiece on a day when the bookmakers took something of a hammering.
Initially they were saved by Weld's Francis Bay who just short-headed Have Merci in the opener with the gambled on Donadino back in third.
However Weld later provided the 4 to 6 winner Grand Ambition, who had to get the full Pat Smullen treatment to short head the newcomer Omni Cosmo Touch in the mile maiden. Grand Ambition drifted across the track in the closing stages and had to survive a stewards' enquiry. Smullen, however, got a three-day ban for careless riding.
Bolger put up the apprentice Tim Houlihan on Dochas Mor in the 12-furlong handicap and the Kerry-born rider got the favourite home a comfortable winner while Nordic Isle, in Nicky Kelly's colours, got another decisive ride from Kevin Manning to continue the Coolcullen trainer's excellent 1999 festival.
