It seems the message has got through. There was a good deal of pleasant surprise at how smoothly the Euro introduced itself to horse racing at Tramore yesterday.

"There was a little bit of confusion at the start as people examined the notes, but it only took about half an hour and everyone was well into it," said the track manager, Sue Phelan.

"I would say half my business, in terms of volume, was in Euro, which I was amazed by," reported Francis Hyland of the Irish National Bookmakers' Association.

"We were extremely busy and the whole thing went very well. The public were patient and seemed to get used to it very quickly," declared Tote Ireland's Dermot Battigan.

So, a day that had begun with uncertainty and nervousness ended with the last-race favourite getting beaten and general disgruntlement at having not enough of any kind of folding stuff in the pocket.

It was just as things should be.

No one caught the mood better than the harrassed Tote worker who during the day could see no end to the line of eager punters queuing up to exchange punts for Euros.

"I've never seen more one hundred pound notes in my life!" he exclaimed and there was an undeniable sense among the near 6,000 -strong crowd that their old money, if it had to go, might as well go with a bit of a dash.

"There is no doubt bookmakers are being used as something of a dumping ground for punts," said Hyland, who, nevertheless, forecast that the vast majority of business in the betting ring will be conducted in Euro inside a week.

"Only very big bets will present a problem," he said, before reporting that tolerance and patience for once won out in the betting ring: "I saw no disputes or fights, no messing at all, and that has to be good."

Maybe the good mood started at the gate where the £10 entry fee was rounded down in the punters favour to €12.50. Already ahead by €0.20, everyone seemed to go with the flow of the bars and restaurants operating in Euro only.

In fact, things flowed so well that the mobile Bank Of Ireland bus started to divert those looking to exchange old for new to the various Tote booths dotted around the track.

The Tote turnover was €69,197 which compared unfavourably to €80,168 last year. However, those whose traditional bet might have been £5 are now betting €5 instead. That's the big downside for bookmakers. It is very difficult to expect people to up their stake. They're never going to do it. It will be the same of churches and charities," said Hyland.

The racetracks of Ireland will never be mistaken for either churches or charities but in terms of the Euro changeover, the first day of 2002 indicated the sport is ready to kick on with the new money.

The feature race on the card, the TJ Carroll Chase, worth €14,950 to the winner, was won by Super Franky, trained by Charles Byrnes.