Hi °C | Lo °C DOWN for a flutter and to help judge the Best Dressed Lady competition at Galway races was Herald columnist Rosanna Davison.
She borrowed the chopper from dad Chris de Burgh and flew down with pals Dawn Fitzgerald and Gillian Fitzpatrick.
Looking chic in a strapless burgundy Marchesa dress, the former Miss World left her crooner dad at home this year.
"He came down with me one year and he was shown a lot of affection from women of a certain age. He was a little overwhelmed by it all," she said.
Admitting that it was "incredibly tough" to pick a winner, she said she was blown away by all the style on display at the races as the ladies competed for the €20,000 prize package.
In the end, the title was snatched by Australian student Kelli O'Dell (22) from Sydney.
She wore a black lace dress from Anaessia, teamed with a salmon-pink headpiece and black patent Bianco shoes and her grandmother's black gloves.
"I'm ecstatic. I brought the outfit from Sydney; it was a little bit pricey, but I don't spend my money on anything else."
The prize for the Best Hat Competition went to Aisling Ahern from Roscommon, for her burnt-orange head-piece teamed with a matching dress.
Other familiar faces included RTE's Kathryn Thomas, who said she hadn't been to the races in a long while but was looking forward to a great day.
Also spotted were Brent Pope, Anne Doyle, Karen Koster and Maura Derrane.
TV3 star Layla Flaherty was going back to her Galway roots.
"I haven't seen one horse, I've seen lots of hats and lots of fashion, but not a horse," she said.
mfinn@herald.ie
