YORK'S August race meeting is an irresistible spectacle. Thousands are lured from far and wide by the quality of the sport.

Many famous faces could be spotted among the throng yesterday, as our photographs tonight show. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson enjoyed himself even though his horse Juniper failed to set Knavesmire alight. And it must have been quiet in Emmerdale: most of the cast were at the races.

Their presence is a reminder that York is universally regarded as one of the top venues in the country, and the Ebor meeting as one of the best in the racing calendar.

For the thousands of local people who attend, star-spotting is almost as much fun as studying form. A day at York races is one of the few events where the ordinary mingle with the extraordinary.

York benefits greatly from this sporting spectacular. Hotels and guest houses are fully booked. Trade in the pubs and restaurants is brisk. The national publicity generated by the races presents York as a dynamic and exciting city.

On the downside, residents do face disruption. Anyone caught in races traffic is tempted to curse the Ebor every inch of the slow journey home. And today we report how families near Knavesmire have complained about the noise from the helicopter used by Channel 4 to televise the event. The broadcaster, we are glad to see, has taken their grievances on board.

Ultimately, however, these are small prices to pay for such a positive event for York. The disruption is rare, only taking up a handful of days a year. Meanwhile, residents have the wide open space of Knavesmire to enjoy all year round.

The success of Ebor 2000 bodes well for the first Sunday race meeting at York next month. We are already looking forward to it.