IF you had closed your eyes, it could have been June all over again.

The roar of the crowds, the thunder of the hooves on the turf, the queue for a pint at the racecourse bars - everything had a flavour of that magical Royal meeting.

But this was not Ascot. It was the opening day of York's showpiece Ebor Festival, a spectacle to match anything that royalty could offer.

Top hats and tails may have disappeared. But Ebor week has its own dress code, as tailored suits and handmade shoes were as widely seen as a jockeys'

silks.

And, with a day of sunshine to better anything seen this year on Knavesmire, it was as if God himself was handing over His approval to a remarkable day of racing.

It was clear from early on that things were going to get off to a flying start.

The gates did not open until 11.15am, but the punters had already drained York Station's cash machines of funds long before.

On the track, there was an international flavour to match anything Berkshire

in its pomp could offer.

The Juddmonte International race may have drawn people from as far as Barbados and Switzerland, but there was one nationality which swamped all the rest.

Hundreds of Japanese racing fans turned out to cheer on Zenno Rob Roy, who

was out to grab the spoils of York's richest race for the land of the rising sun.

In the end, he was pipped to the post by the Italian stallion Electrocutionist, but the second place still cheered the Japanese hearts.

In the stands, it was a not a day to stand out.

Celebrities were thin on the ground, save for regular York racegoer and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and former snooker star John Virgo.

In the stands, the wild and wacky outfits which caught the eye two months ago were absent today - except for one.

Dressed in a red suit so bright he needed sunglasses to avoid the glare was

Londoner Paul Crowther, who had travelled up from the capital especially for the opening Ebor event.

"I think I look a bit silly," he said as he surveyed the more sober colours surrounding the entrance to the County Stand.

He was looking for attention, as were five city school leavers using the first day of racing as a chance to socialise before picking up their exam results later this month.

Hannah Armstrong, Sophie Crossley, Amanda Hawkyard, Vicky Hunter and Laura

Williamson were holding court in the Champagne Lawn.

The girls, from Heworth, Poppleton and Huddersfield, said they were having a

fantastic day.

Hannah said: "It's such a social event, you get to know so many people and so many of our friends are here as well. It's fantastic."

James Brennan, York Racecourse marketing manager, said nearly 18,000 people turned out for the first day of the festival. He said:

"Turnout was slightly down in hospitality areas, which is understandable given the excitement earlier in the year.

"Traditionally, this is the quietest of the three days, but it was a good attendance and it was a great day. We are now looking forward to today's Ebor Day - our great spectacular, and hopefully a Yorkshire winner can come home for the first time since 1997."

Pensioner had pens aplenty

ONE York racegoer had clearly been a Boy Scout in his younger days.

But the elderly gentlemen had possibly taken Baden Powell's motto Be Prepared a little too far.

It's one thing to bring a couple of pens to mark your card, signal the winners and cross off the non-runners.

But it's quite another to have a pocket so laden it looked like a

schoolboy's pencil set. With about 20 pens, pencils, rubbers - at one point we even thought we had noticed a compass - the pensioner could have set up shop alongside the Racing Post sellers marketing a stationery range.

Whatever the intention, it certainly helped to slow him down as he ambled across York Racecourse's stands.

Japanese have a yen for racing

THE first day of the Ebor Festival is well known for its ethnic flavour - thanks in no small part to the Racecourse's richest race, the Juddmonte

International.

Representatives and jockeys from no fewer than nine countries lined up to contest the showpiece £460,000 contest.

But while many flags of nations may have been seen on the course - in the reporting stakes one number far outweighed everyone else.

Zenno Rob Roy is the pride of Japan, and 35 Japanese journalists set up shop

in the Melrose Stand to follow their prize hope.

Given that the York Racecourse press room only holds space for about 40

people, when the Far East reporters graced the area for a spot of lunch, it made for quite a squeeze!

Updated: 10:06 Wednesday, August 17, 2005