Scores of women donned striking hats, glamorous dresses and stylish shoes for this year’s Ladies Day at Newmarket Races.
The annual event, which is one of the biggest on the town’s racing calendar, attracted thousands of people to the July course to enjoy the fashion, racing and live entertainment.
The first day of the Moet and Chandon Festival, which runs for three days, also saw the hotly contested Best Dressed Lady competition.
More than 1,000 female racegoers entered the free competition, sponsored by The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel, to win an array of prizes by wearing their finest outfit.
Racing at the popular event kicked off with Britain’s oldest horse race – The Newmarket Town Plate – which is a contest for true amateurs.
Former international showjumper Tim Gredley steered Bivouac to victory in the historic race, which was instigated by King Charles II in 1666.
Last year’s winner Sheikh Fahad, who is a member of the Qatari royal family, fell inside the final two furlongs as he attempted to regain his crown.
The other racing highlight saw James Doyle ride Hawkbill to victory in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
Alongside the racing, there was live entertainment and music throughout the day, with fashion expert and television presenter Gok Wan taking to the decks half an hour after the last race to perform a DJ set.
Jodie Davis, 37, from Ely, was with a group of 20 at the event who attend Ladies Day every year.
The hairdresser was dressed in a red Reiss flock with a matching hat from Newmarket Hat Hire.
She said: “We’ve been coming here for six years.
“It’s a great day out and the weather has been very good this year.
“It’s all about the fashion really, I don’t mind a little gamble but it’s great to see all the outfits and I often bump into clients here.
“It’s a lot of fun and everyone looked at their best.”
The award for ‘Best Dressed Lady’ went to Ana Pribylova, a 32-year-old milliner, whose stunning red, flowing dress from True Decadence designers was topped with an intricate red hat made of pieces of red glass which she made herself, and silver shoes from River Island.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I am absolutely over the moon.”
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