ALMOST 28,000 people descended on York Races under a cloudless sky for the first weekend meeting of the year.

It was a day of thrills for the punters, bookies and fashion conscious with the crowds spilling out across the extended grounds.

James Brennan, head of marketing at the racecourse, said the attendance figure on Saturday was slightly up on last year, which was particularly welcome considering the economic climate and forthcoming events on people’s calendars such as the Olympics and the Jubilee.

“It’s good for us and the wider city,” he said, adding: “It was lovely to be racing in temperatures three times that of the week before. It is the first weekend meeting of the year and the first of six.”

A highlight of the day for many was seeing Franki Dettori perform a flying dismount in the parade ring after winning the Stowe Family Law Grand Cup, on Cavalryman - its first win in three years.

However despite the celebrations, Mr Brennan said the day was marred by sadness at the death in the starting stalls of a horse, Captain Dimitrios, in the second race.

“It was a freak accident in the starting stalls, or a heart attack - the post mortem will tell us what happened. It won’t be a consolation to them but the same owner and trainer got a second place in the next race. That shows the light and shade of racing.”

The next race meeting is on Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16.