Turnover was up on last year, the weather plays a huge part. There was a buzz too and punters are attracted in by that.

All the money in the opener was for Manhattan Swing (15/8). He would have been a five-figure loser for me as I was forced to stand him for too much by clients.

The public backed the winner, (McKinley) who was a huge price for a Willie Mullins runner, but the race was a good one for me.

The second race was another one-horse book. Everyone wanted to be one Artful Artist, so that was another winning race, though my place book was a small loser.

If we had got a result in the two-year-old maiden it would have set us up for the week. But I didn’t mind losing as this is what old-fashioned bookmaking is all about - you lay the first two in the market for all you can and pray for a result.

Even if one of the front two wins, you only lose a fraction of what you were holding. I laid bets of €3,500 on the winner Jamaica (4/9) and two bets of €2,000 on the runner-up Postulation.

Poor betting

By comparison, the amateur handicap was a poor betting race. I can’t understand why – it looked a belter of a betting race and I laid every horse in the race – but €400 on the winner (Quick Jack 4/1) was the biggest bet I saw.

Getting Dermot Weld’s horse beaten in the seven-furlong handicap was the best result of the night for me. But we gave half of it back when Weld won the next race. We laid the three favourites in that 12-furlong handicap and needed Annus Mirabilis to win to take the book.

It was 7/1 bar one in the bumper and, while the winner was backed from 10/1, I won on the race though I’d say not everyone did.

I haven’t seen the ring figures but I would say business must be up. Short priced favourites are what bookmakers want, not 4/1 the field races.

Looking ahead, Thomas Edison is a loser for me in the Hurdle but ante-post business on the Plate has been very quiet.