WHOEVER'S brainchild it was to charge race-goers £5 to park their cars on Knavesmire on John Smith's Cup race day has a damned, diabolical cheek.

Who was the recipient of the money and where has it gone?

Knavesmire is owned by the residents of York, and if any of them were charged for parking on their own land they were robbed by Dick Turpin reincarnated, the only difference being these Dicks did it without a mask and a gun.

Nevertheless, they deserve a good horse-whipping.

When By Thunder won the Ebor Handicap in 1954, Knavesmire was in a quagmire never seen before or since, and moreover the jockeys and horses raced through it without mishap. No health and safety in those good old days.

Cars were still being towed off Knavesmire at 10pm, no charge, a Walter Wilson's (smile) and thank you for coming, sir.

Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby, York.

* I WISH to comment on the shambles at York racecourse last Saturday.

I walked round the cycle track because I and many of the regular race-goers refused to pay £5 to park the car on land which the course does not own. The local council should refuse to accept this.

No northern course has charged for around 40 years. Beverley was the last I recall, the crowds disappeared and gave it up.

I have never been in such a crowd, and it was impossible to walk around in safety. I walked out after four races when many people were still arriving.

Walking back across the mire was awful and it will take months to recover. The traffic was impossible. The course must have been aware the ground was not suitable to park the buses that did not make it.

Many drivers gave up and stopped on Bishopthorpe Road and Tadcaster Road (on the cycle area), and race-goers walked to the course. The course must have known how many buses were coming.

There is now a red airport flag in the cheap ring. Only one helicopter was there, but that had been parked outside the enclosure near the red flag where race-goers were walking across the course to the cheap ring. This was highly dangerous. There are local airports where helicopters could go.

I have been to all the major big races, including the St Leger for 50 years, Ayr Gold Cup, Newmarket, etc, without any problem.

I feel, like many others, that the racing authorities should move out of York if they cannot get their acts together on an extremely easy problem.

C B Wild, Dringthorpe Road, Dringhouses, York.