 | ATTENDANCE FIGURES Tuesday: 35,982 Wednesday: 39,875 Thursday: 50,510 Friday: 49,562 Saturday: 48,539 |
York's staging of the Royal Ascot meeting has been deemed a success by those in charge of the Berkshire course. "Royal Ascot at York will live in many memories for all the right reasons," said the Duke of Devonshire, who is the Queen's representative at Ascot.
"We are delighted to have staged such a successful, popular and high quality Royal meeting at York this year."
York hosted the 2005 meeting because Ascot is undergoing a �185m revamp.
"We have been overwhelmed by the way the event has been embraced in the region and the welcome we have received," added the Duke.
"It has been one of the most significant racing events in living memory, something very special and a moment of history, and I say that with no exaggeration.
"More than 220,000 people have visited the Knavesmire this week and the operation has required a huge amount of planning, not just on Ascot's side but from everyone involved."
Crowds were down on usual Royal Ascot figures but York surpassed its own attendance record twice during the week with more than 50,000 racegoers present on Ladies Day on Thursday.
Wind and rain put a dampener on proceedings on Tuesday and Wednesday and made the going conditions tricky for the horses.
But the rest of the week saw sunny conditions with Saturday the hottest of the week.
Ascot's redevelopment work is expected to have finished in time for next year's Royal meeting to revert back to Berkshire.
MMIX
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