Racing returned to the Knavesmire at the tail end of July for a popular two day meeting which often attracts large crowds each year due to post racing concerts. The meeting is the highlight of the "Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival" in which racing takes place at one of the several racecourses in the north and north east of the country over the course of a week. The festival has proven to be a hit with healthy crowds and plenty of entertainment on offer. Heavy rain dominated the forecast in the days leading up to the meeting, a far cry from the glorious sunshine just weeks ago. The ground started out on the soft side, but dry weather and a decent breeze soon led to the surface quickening up.
On the track, the quality of racing was of a high standard with Saturday's card headlined by the Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes. Run over the trip of ten furlongs, the race is the final boarding call for potential runners in the upcoming Juddmonte International in August. In recent years, the field sizes have been small but filled with quality. Previous winners of the York Stakes have gone on to feature prominently in the Juddmonte, York's biggest race of the season. There was a minor shock twelve months ago as Sir Busker held off globetrotter Dubai Honour in a thrilling finish.
Elsewhere on Saturday's meeting, there was a typically competitive class two handicap over six furlongs, the Sky Bet Dash, as well as the yearly tradition of the Jump Jockeys' Nunthorpe in which riders from "the other code" swap stamina for speed in this fun one-off event supported by leading names in National Hunt racing.
Friday's racing was held in the evening as York's only meeting of its kind each year. The feature race saw a listed race over ten furlongs for fillies' and mares', a valuable opportunity to gain black type for their subsequent careers at stud. Elsewhere, a class two handicap and intriguing novice race, won last year by Shaquille, provided the entertainment before the post racing concert.