Frankie Dettori reckons it's an eccentric snake, but on the racecard, they call it the pride of the South Coast.

Both descriptions are a bit over the top, but there's no doubt Brighton's hilltop racecourse is on the way back to former heights. For the second successive year, owners Northern Racing have carried out improvements costing £1.5m and a bumper attendance of around 2,500 was impressed as the season opened yesterday.

Having done up the stands last year, the owners refurbished the bars and indoor areas this time round. Workmen were still on site at 3am yesterday but they can rest assured their efforts were greatly appreciated.

Slate grey skies and a bitter wind greeted the first of 22 race days between now and late October, which meant the new facilities were packed, with many punters staying indoors and watching the action on television.

Around 1,000 people made the most of a Tote free admission scheme run in conjunction with the Argus, who will continue to support Brighton racing.

Course manager Phil Bell, who admits he used to take time off from his previous job in Brighton to attend meetings at Sandown, reckons local punters can now look closer to home for a great days at the races.

And he is convinced the spectacular views and the attractions of the nearby town centre can also act as a magnet to fans from London and the rest of the south east. What the top men at Goodwood would say to that Pride Of The South Coast claim can only be left to the imagination, although the panorama from the back of the stand is certainly glorious.

The sun didn't exactly shimmer off the Channel or glint tantalisingly off distant Seaford Head yesterday. But one or two brave punters must have emerged with some dazzling results, especially those who backed Lewes-trained Blue Style at 25-1 or Dettori's late winners, which cruised home at prices of sixes and sevens.

Blue Style's win in the Go Racing Free With The Argus Stakes was a bitter sweet affair for highly-rated Sussex trainer Jamie Poulton, who immediately saw his charge claimed for £7,000 by Philip Mitchell.

Luton boss Lennie Lawrence has always been a wily operator in the football world but, as he joined a lengthy queue at the tea bar, even he admitted: "I haven't had a single winner yet. "We've got a day off so I've come down from London."

Jerry Best and wife Joy were two of the customers Bell was no doubt targeting as he planned this year's promotions. They come from Hove and are regulars at the local greyhound track, but only went to the horses thanks to the Argus offer.

Mr Best admitted: "The entrance fee has put me off but I'm enjoying the whole day and I think we'd pay to get in. But of course we'll look out for more special offers."

Had they asked him, diehard fan Robert Houghton, from Worthing, could have shared memories of the dark days. He said: "There only used to be a few hundred of us up here. The stand was on the other side so it was more exposed.

Big name jockeys will help draw the crowds, of course. Walter Swinburn set things rolling when odds-on favourite Sir Francis coasted home in the opener, but the form book counted for little after that.

The charismatic Dettori came to the rescue of novice punters keen to take part but with little idea of who to back as he expertly guided Silca Blank and Miss Hit around Brighton's unique contours.

He then declared: "It's one of the most eccentric and dangerous tracks in the world. Have you seen it? It's like a snake, but it's been good and kind to me today. It's a lot better in the summer. When it's so cold like this you know that you did a full day's work."

Dettori promptly sped off to Newbury for today's programme, but not everybody was in a rush to join him. Andrew and Sarah Oakley come from Oxford and relish trips to the coast, where they book into a hotel in Saltdean, enjoy the countryside and stop off at the races.

They watched for free from the car yesterday before heading off to Hove dogs, but they will be among the fans paying at the gate when things heat up in the summer. If Phil Bell and his colleagues have got it right, they might just have to join the queue.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.