The return of York's popular mid-summer music showcase meeting and the only evening meeting of the year. Always a well turned out event, the racing attracts a high quality of horses as the Saturday raceday is focused on the Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes over ten furlongs. Seen by some as a trial for the prestigious Juddmonte International over the same distance at the upcoming Ebor Festival, it has proven a stepping stone for runners. Former winners include the 2019 Juddmonte third Elaarqam and last year's renewal was won by Bangkok. 
The 2022 running of the York Stakes saw the long awaited return of Dubai Honour for trainer William Haggas. The narrow runner-up in last year's Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot, he was last seen in Meydan at the start of the season and was using this race to blow the cobwebs away. Also in the line up were two winners from this year's Royal Ascot meeting, the Wolferton Handicap winner Dubai Future and the Hampton Court winner Claymore. 
The competitive Sky Bet Dash Handicap was a tasty event on the undercard as plenty of familiar names lined up for battle once again and the novelty "Jumps Jockeys Nunthorpe Handicap" opened the card over five furlongs but restricted to National Hunt jockeys in what was undoubtedly a culture shock to their usual two mile races over obstacles.
Friday night's meeting was headlined by the EBF Lyric Stakes, a listed race over ten furlongs and one which provided a subsequent Royal Ascot winner in the form of Fanny Logan who won this race in 2019 before winning the 2020 Hardwicke at Ascot. Her trainer John Goden provided the unbeaten Judith in the line up this year and she faced the improving Poptronic and John Smith's Cup runner up Achelois.