Race-goers share their photos from Ladies’ Day at Newmarket on Twitter and Instagram

The stakes were high at Newmarket today as female racing fans took over the grandstand.

The annual Ladies’ Day event got underway early this afternoon.

And photos have been flooding social media channels.

Here we share some of those that have been posted on Instagram and twitter over the course of the afternoon.

They show a vey quiet July Course before the gates open, flamboyant hats and a bright array of outfits.

Ladies’ Day is now as much about the fashion as the racing, but there were still some photos of the racing action being shared.

Groups of fashionably-dressed women raised a glass as they posed for selfies - while others posed for the cameraman.

There have been extra celebrations today as Frankie Dettori marked 30 years at the home of British racing.

Have you been at Newmarket today? Did you see Dettori?

Share your photos using #Newmarket

See tomorrow’s paper for more photos from Ladies’ Day at Newmarket

Meanwhile, Amy Starkey, East Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “The atmosphere at the first day of the Moët & Chandon July meeting was everything we hoped it would be and we were delighted with the crowd of 15,490 for the first day of the Festival.

“The weather was perfect and the sea of colour provided by some exceptionally well-dressed ladies was an incredible sight to behold.

“We’d obviously like to send huge congratulations to Victoria Agombar, who won the Best Dressed Lady competition. The level of entries was incredibly high and it must have been a really difficult task to try and pick a winner. All those who entered were amazing and made the day the success it was.

“Over the three days, more than £20,000 in prizes, generously donated by local businesses from Newmarket, Cambridge and East Anglia, will be won, so there is every reason to get dressed up and come along for some fantastic racing and post-race entertainment.

“Today, the feature races were packed with quality and while Big Orange may have caused a shock in the Princess Of Wales’s Arqana Racing Club Stakes, it seemed everyone knew that we were about to see a decent filly when Lumiere went to post. She came home really well and Mark Johnston will no doubt look ahead with confidence to some big entries for her in the future, including hopefully next year’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

“The weather is expected to be perfect for the next two days and, with advance tickets sales ahead of last year, we’re confident of some big crowds. We’ve been delighted with the atmosphere and quality of racing on the first day and we are already looking forward to tomorrow, with the QIPCO Falmouth Stakes the feature.”