IT would be easy to dismiss York Racecourse’s two-day Music Showcase meeting, which starts this evening, as a glorified gig.

After all it’s the music acts – this year’s double-header comprises Kaiser Chiefs tonight and Little Mix tomorrow – who get all the build-up.

But while it would be negligent to play down the impact the addition a musical interlude has made to attendances – last year Music Showcase Saturday even topped John Smith’s Cup Day in terms of crowd numbers – there is still top-quality racing to enjoy on the famous Knavesmire turf.

James Brennan, York Racecourse’s head of marketing, said the one naturally complements the other.

“The entire genesis for the music event was to attract new and different racegoers by providing a combination of music and racing,” he said.

“As it has grown, it has probably shaded to a number of people being attracted by the music as their first reason for coming.

“Most of the crowd will be here on both days before the first race and that helps in showcasing the sport. The strong attendance means we can deliver on our promises of investing in the sport.”

By far the most popular part of the annual Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, tomorrow’s stellar card sees more than £200,000 in prize money up for grabs.

Brennan added: “When we created the Saturday by swapping it with the October Thursday, the richest race we could provide with a crowd of 8,000 people was a pool of £15,000 for the feature.

“Now it is prize money in total of more than £235,000.”

Half of that is on offer in the £100,000 Sky Bet York Stakes – a Group 2 contest over an extended mile and a quarter.

To highlight just how highly rated this contest is, when the 16 entries were revealed earlier this week they contained Group 1 winners from six different countries.

Hunters Light, for example, has enjoyed top-drawer successes in Italy and Dubai, while Unbridled Command won the Hollywood Derby in the United States.

Wigmore Hall, from the stable of Michael Bell, has also won at the highest level having been successful in the last two renewals of the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes in Woodbine, California.

York punters, however, may be more familiar with the six-year-old from his short-head victory over Kings Gambit in the John Smith’s Cup at York in 2010.

With Sri Putra, last year’s winner, also in a bid to defend his crown, it is the mount of former Malton jockey Paul Hanagan, Mukhadram, who is currently focusing the attention of bookmakers.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old went down by a neck to Al Kazeem in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and came home an unlucky third behind the same horse in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park.

There’s a lot at stake. For the victor, it’s likely a repeat trip to York for the flagship £750,000 Juddmonte International will be in the offing.

With no Frankel to dominate the field this time around, the jewel in Knavesmire’s crown looks an open contest.

Said Brennan: “Two years ago, Twice Over ran in the Sky Bet York Stakes and then went on and won the Juddmonte International.

“Half a dozen of those entered for this year’s event are also entered in the Juddmonte International and, if the winner doesn’t come out of that group, I am sure the Juddmonte will be looked at.”

He continued: “Sri Putra came back after winning the Sky Bet and, like so many others, trailed in behind the mighty Frankel.

“It’s the same course and distance separated by three weeks. It is now on the calendar of all the top yards.”

Brennan described the following Sky Bet Dash – a £50,000 cavalry charge down the home straight – as a “wonderful counterpoint”.

“It’s a proper Saturday punting race with 20 of them hurtling down the track,” he said.

“You can also take the view that some of them could also come back for the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival.”

Won by top-class sprinters like La Cucaracha, Lesson In Humility, Hawkeyethenoo and Hoof It, the sponsors were going 10-1 about the field earlier in the week such was the difficulty in splitting the runners.

Consider also that tonight’s card, which is already the best attended evening meeting in the country and is set to break its own record numbers if advance sales are any indication, has a top-class Listed event of its own and two excellent days of racing are in prospect.

“It promises to be another couple of big days,” said Brennan. “We can’t wait.”