Stunning racegoers donned all their finery to impress at Aintree this morning as Ladies’ Day gets underway.
The second day of the annual racing festival, which takes place in Merseyside, saw women step out in frills, thigh-skimming styles and statement headpieces as they displayed their fashion prowess on the racecourse.
Ladies Day takes place each year on the second day of the three-day festival, which concludes on Saturday with the famed Grand National race.
But today the focus is on fashion, described as a ‘day of glamour, style and excitement’ by The Jockey Club.
The Club’s website reads: ‘This is where big hats meet high heels, and the air is filled with the thrill of both the races and the fashion.’
And dressing to the nines isn’t just to look the part – as there’s a lucrative prize up for grabs for the most stylish racegoer this year.
The Style Awards, which is sponsored by high street store River Island, is open for all racegoers to enter – but they need to have their snap taken by 2pm.
The two best dressed racegoers will win a £3,000 River Island voucher, two Garden Club tickets to Ladies Day next year, a Randox Health full body package and River Island gifts costing £1.000.
Glamorous racegoers have donned all their finery as they descend on Aintree to celebrate day two of the racing festival, famously known as Ladies Day
Ahead of today’s Style Awards, racegoers have donned fabulous fascinators and stunning dresses to put their best fashion feet forward
As temperatures across the UK soar past 20C, the event’s attendees were happy to shrug off their jackets and coats while embracing short-sleeved and sleeveless styles
This year, for the first time, the most sustainably dressed racegoer will also be recognised; winning a £1,000 River Island voucher, two Garden Club tickets to Ladies Day next year, hospitality for two ad any Aintree fixture over the next year and River Island gifts costing £1,000.
And the competition is fierce.
Racing fans picked their most ornate fascinators, decorated with flowers, mesh, rhinestones, and oversized bows, to match their Ladies’ Day ensembles.
Even though Barbie was released over two years ago, it appeared the bright pink shade that was all the rage in 2023 is just as hot today – with several revellers opting for monochromatic fuschia looks.
One especially striking ensemble included a flamboyant, ruffled off-the-shoulder peplum top worn with a matching pencil skirt, and a hat that concealed its wearer’s face entirely.
While it’s all about the style on Ladies Day, revellers will also be looking forward to the party later this afternoon as the drinks flow freely and gleeful racing fans enjoy the fruits of their wins on the course.
On Thursday an estimated 23,000 merry spectators descended on the Merseyside course to enjoy the booze-fuelled festivities.
Excited revellers appeared in high spirits as they partied their way through the afternoon, with many pictured with beaming smiles as the sun shone down sunglass sheltered spectators.
Racing fans picked their most ornate fascinators, decorated with flowers, mesh, rhinestones, and oversized bows, to match their Ladies’ Day ensembles
This reveller donned a navy Lavish Alice dress with a thigh slit and a netted fascinator, with the shade of the dress complementing her auburn hair
This glamorous racegoer kept to the racing theme in her extravagant headwear, donning a jockey on her head
This glamorous pair were the picture of glamour in white and scarlet, donning stunning headpieces to match
An Aintree attendee turned heads in a lemon yellow midi dress, complete with a tulle skirt and cinched bodice, from Effie. She paired it with white accessories and a hat with matching feathers for a glamorous race day ensemble
One especially flamboyant outfit included a fuschia ruffled, off-shoulder peplum top worn with a matching pencil skirt, and a hat that concealed its wearer’s face entirely
Supersized hats were the order of Ladies Day this year, with one racegoer opting for a design that was equal parts functional and stylish – as the sun shone down on Aintree
Partiers packed out stands with their best dance moves as several were pictured boogying the afternoon amid a sea of empty beer glasses and drained Prosecco buckets.
Among the racegoers was the Princess Royal, who attended a lunch held by charity Racing Welfare, of which she is president, before watching the first race of the day.
The racecourse was a sea of colour this morning as patrons started arriving at Aintree station in Liverpool.
Racegoers embraced the warmer April weather in sleeveless dresses with plunging necklines and figure-hugging skirts as day one of the Merseyside racing meet got underway on Thursday.
And as the afternoon settled in across the Grand National Festival, revellers grew increasingly raucous.
Several were pictured basking in the sunshine as they flopped next to empty jugs of booze, with many puffing away on cigarettes.
As the races got underway, many wild partiers were seen cheering from the stands while guzzling flutes of Prosecco.
More than 150,000 people are expected to descend on the course for the three-day racing festival.
While Cheltenham is all about the tweedy country looks, Aintree is its more glamorous cousin – and the flamboyant outfits in hues like yellow, bright blue, and fuschia pink did not disappoint.
Arriving at the racecourse in Liverpool, attendees could be seen holding on to their hats to keep them from flying off before settling in for a windy afternoon of drinking, dancing, and betting.
Dressed to impress, racing fans celebrated the arrival of spring in floral-patterned maxi dresses, fascinators with blooming accents, off-shoulder ensembles, and open-toed stilletos.
Unlike Royal Ascot which adopts stricter rules on what to wear, Aintree takes a more relaxed approach and tells attendees to simply come ‘dressed to feel your best’.
Fancy dress for revellers is also allowed, as long as the costume isn’t offensive or derogatory.
The Grand National on Saturday, known as the People’s Race, drawing national attention in a way that perhaps no other horse race is able to do.
