Ladies day took center stage at York as the popular social event was headlined by the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, a Group One for Fillies and Mares. In the past, it had been a valuable bridge in the careers of the highest class females and former winners include Sea Of Class, Peeping Fawn and none more prestigious than Enable who won the race twice. A field of seven lined up in 2022, but they were the best fillies and mares in training right now. They were led by contintent-trotting Alpinista, who had collected numerous Group One races in France and Germany and the grey daughter of Frankel was popular in the betting once again. In opposition featured the Epsom Oaks winner Tuesday for Aidan O'Brien, Irish Oaks and Ribblesdale Stakes winner Magical Lagoon for Jessie Harrington and the intriguing French runner Raclette for legendary trainer Andre Fabre. In the closing stages of the race, Alpinista battled gamely and hard to overcome Tuesday and Le Petit Coco and win her fifth Group One in a row. A workwomanlike performance for a horse who doesn't win in flashy style like Baaeed, but a final call at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe could be on the cards. 
Elsewhere on the card, the Group Two Lowther Stakes for juvenile fillies opened the day with red-hot favourite Dramatised, who arrived here on the back of a Queen Mary Stakes win at Royal Ascot in June. She failed to stay the extra furlong and ran disappointingly, but her trainer Karl Burke went home happier still as his other representative Swingalong caused a big surprise on her fourth start. The valuable Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sales Race went to Shouldvebeenaring for Middleham Park Racing as she overcame Hambleton Racing's Washington Heights in a battle of the syndicates. One-two's were the order of the day as David O'Meara landed the competitive Clipper Logistics Handicap with perennial runner-up Blue For You nosing ahead of stablemate Escobar and then later in the day it was the same again for owner/breeders Juddmonte in the Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes with the once-raced Haskoy running a solo path on the far side rail to beat Time Lock on the line in a great finish. 
Cloudy skies and travel disruption may have threatened to spoil the day, but it was a grey winning machine who lit up the racecourse.

Winners:
Swingalong (14) - K. Burke - C. Lee - Showcasing x Pilates
Shouldvebeenaring (14) - R. Hannon - S. Levey - Havana Grey x Lady Estella
Blue For You (17) - D. O'Meara - D. Tudhope - New Approach x Love In The Sun
Alpinista (1) - Sir M. Prescott Bt. - L. Morris - Frankel x Alwilda
Haskoy (5) - R. Beckett - R. Moore - Golden Horn x Natavia
Kyeema (5) - W.Haggas - T. Marquand - Siyouni x Karisma
Adaay In Asia (6) - H. Dunlop - D. Hogan - Adaay x Asia Minor.