The going was windy in Ballybrit on the opening evening of Galway’s week-long racing festival. Very, very windy. Sudden big gusts swooped in off the Atlantic, rattling the little tents and sending a few flat caps and the odd delicate chapeau scudding across the enclosure.

But this wasn't what had grounded the usual flying columns of helicopters which buzz incessantly over the Galway racetrack. It was the chill wind which has blown through corporate Ireland since last year's race meeting, which huffed and puffed and blew all the big tents down.

The infamous Fianna Fail teepee has gone with the wind since 2007, and the rest followed suit this year. The area of the racetrack which is normally a maze of white marquees filled with chatter about property acquisitions, stock market triumphs and exotic holidays, is now as empty as the national piggybank.

But that's not to say that Ballybrit was a deserted wasteland yesterday, save for the odd tumbleweed drifting into the parade ring. The first evening of the meeting is traditionally the night when the locals come out to play, and the bookies at the track were doing brisk business.

However, there weren't too many familiar faces from the world of politics checking out the odds yesterday — not even the nag-loving speaker of the Dail, John O'Donoghue.

The odds on the Kerry South TD turning up at the track lengthened somewhat this week after details of expenses racked up during his time as Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister made for some interesting reading for southern taxpayers over Sunday brunch at the weekend.

But another couple of keen political punters — former Irish government ministers Ray MacSharry and Joe Walsh — did make the trip; Ray MacSharry was studying the form with the sort of relaxed enjoyment which could only emanate from someone who had removed himself from the political fray.

But the former finance minister is still a keen observer of the current woeful economic situation, and popped up at the MacGill Summer School in Donegal last week to see economist Colm McCarthy and the present incumbent in Finance, Brian Lenihan, in action.

He was impressed with both men, and doesn't seem to mind that Colm, the chairman of Bord Snip Nua — Dublin’s department for cutbacks — has taken over his old nickname, Mac the Knife.

“Colm calls a spade a spade,” he reckoned yesterday. “It's a very thorough report and serious consideration should be given to all of it,” he added.

As Charlie Haughey's finance minister, Ray was instrumental in setting up the original Bord Snip, and is now experiencing deja vu. “I'm just sad we've come back to this,” he said.

The obliging chap even coughed up a tip for the first race, on the nose of which horse this reporter duly put her entire evening's entertainment fund (€5).

Alas it came in a close second.

But there was some star quality causing an outbreak of excitement — particularly among the Leinster punters. The big, silver Heineken Cup was doing a lap of honour, borne aloft by Leinster players Malcolm O'Kelly and Bernard Jackman.

Malcolm said that he was making a flying visit to the track. “I'm going back to Dublin tonight, as we have training tomorrow,” he said, keeping an eye on the cup as it was passed among a gaggle of kids.

However Malcolm is determined that his team would try and keep a firm grip on the cup next year. “Retaining the cup has never been done before, but we'll give it a go,” he smiled.

Happily, there were also a lot of wide smiles among the race-goers, as the bookies took a bit of a pasting in the first four races, with trainer Dermot Weld bringing home two winners, Stunning View in the third, and Ghimaar in the fourth.

“Dermot Weld is still the king of Ballybrit — it's not good for the bookies, but it's good for the punters,” said a rueful Leon Blanche of Boylesports. “There's been a little bit of carnage, but it cheers up the crowd — and sure they could go with a bit of good news,” he said.

“But there's a long week to go yet, with 51 races in all,” he added confidently.

But the long week has got off to a hopeful start for the crowd, and no doubt — despite the lack of the village of tents — there'll be more familiar faces as the days go on. Galway stalwart Bertie Ahern, the crown prince of the corporate campsite, is expected to attend a fund-raiser in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation at this evening's meeting.

And with the Taoiseach due to drop in on Wednesday, perhaps the Shannonbridge tented shop might feel it wise to remove one of their china products — a mug bearing the mug of Brian Cowen and the unflattering caption, 'Only a mother could love'.

The Shannonbridge shop is based in the Taoiseach's constituency, which may explain why the mug is a bestseller. “It's outselling our Michael Jackson mug,” the chap behind the counter said cheerfully.

However, there was no luck to be had in some circles. “I told you to place an each way bet,” Ray admonished this forlorn punter after the race.

Gah. Typical. I spend money, and it's all my fault I'm broke. Once a politician.