TWENTY thousand racegoers enjoyed the last of York’s recent spell of good weather, with rain holding off until almost the final race of today's' May Spring Meeting.

It was York Racecourse’s first Saturday of the 2019 season, and there was still warm, hazy sunshine as people started to arrive at the course.

Racecourse spokesman James Brennan said the attendance was approximately 20,000, almost exactly the same as last year despite competition from other attractions in the region such as the Food Lovers Festival in Malton and the BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Middlesbrough.

He said many headed for the Clock Tower enclosure on the opposite side of the track from the main stands, with many enjoying picnics.

"There was a very relaxed feel to the day,” he said, adding that it was also a good day for Yorkshire trainers and horses, with five of the seven races won by trainers based in the region.

The meeting was a natural attraction for a number of hen parties visiting York for the Bank Holiday weekend, such as Sian Huck and her friends from Cumbria.

Security was tight in the city in the build-up to the meeting, with vehicle check points set up in nearby roads as part of Project Servator, which aims to deter and detect criminal and terrorist activity, as well as to reassure the general public.

Police said the project particularly aimed to deter would-be perpetrators of ‘hostile reconnaissance’ - the observation of people, places, vehicles and locations by criminals in order to plan a successful attack.

Mr Brennan said organisers of a sold-out Rod Stewart concert which takes place at the course next Saturday will descend on Knavesmire tomorrow to begin setting up a pop-up arena which will seat 30,000 fans.

The course's next race meetings will take place on June 14 and 15, including the Macmillan Charity Raceday, with Busted due to perform at the end of a meeting on June 29.