DESPITE the weather, the day belonged to short skirts. Or at least, to one of them.

A filly known as Short Skirt stormed to victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, beating the hot favourite, Alexandrova, along the way.

Naturally, the win prompted Channel 4's grumpy racing commentator John McCririck to wonder why his assistant, Tanya Stevenson, wasn't wearing one. A short skirt, that is.

Yes, you've guessed it, yesterday was the opening day of the May meet at York Racecourse. Where else could you expect quite so much drama and colour?

York people, being York people, sometimes like to grumble about the races. If it's not the traffic, it will be drunken racegoers behaving badly once the last race of the day has finished.

But, as anyone who makes their way to the racecourse over the next few days will be able to attest, the races make a huge contribution to the quality of life in York.

They bring in thousands of visitors. They generate priceless national and international TV coverage. And most of all, they're great fun.

York has one of the finest racecourses in the land. The triumph of last year's Royal Ascot proves that.

Anyone who loves a flutter, or who simply likes the spectacle of magnificent animals giving their all, will be thrilled that the racing season is under way once again.

You can't please all the people all the time. That's one thing you can safely place a bet on.

But with York hosting the St Leger in September, it's odds on we're in for another great season of racing. Let's enjoy.

Updated: 11:32 Thursday, May 18, 2006