A little something to tide us over until Aintree. (April 5. Counting down!)
Just because it’s tweed doesn’t mean it’s classy, girls! How fillies swathed in fur and feathers fell at first hurdle in Ladies Day fashion stakes at Cheltenham
- Demure woollen coats and ropes of pearls topped the sartorial bill as Ladies Day got underway
- Others opted for stylish fascinators festooned with feathers and weighty fur cossack hats
- But not everyone got it right: some racegoers seemed to take the country chic theme too seriously
- Racing fans were joined by Zara Phillips, elegant in aubergine wool, and the Duchess of Cornwall
- On the course, today’s action includes the RSA Steeplechase and the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper
By Ruth Styles
PUBLISHED: 11:47 GMT, 12 March 2024 | UPDATED: 16:57 GMT, 12 March 2024
They came bearing binoculars, their tweed coats and shiny patent leather boots accessorised with glamorous diamond studs and ropes of pearls as racing got underway on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival.
Others sported vast fur cossack hats of the sort beloved of Pippa Middleton, while more still embraced jaunty headgear inspired by the glorious surrounding countryside and festooned with British blooms and pheasant feathers.
But while some got the look spot on, others appeared to have taken the country chic look too far with a bizarre Musketeers-inspired ensemble complete with leather gauntlets and a set of bottom-scraping tweed minis among the low points.
Colourful: Lystra Adams shows off her elaborately decorated straw top hat which came complete with a bouquet of straw roses and a huge spray of feathers
Short and not so sweet: A pair of racegoers take the country dressing theme a little too far while another trio of girls seem to have forgotten their coats
Colourful: A racegoer shows off her fur cossack hat and matching collar as she arrives at Cheltenham, while another plumps for a mauve ensemble
Cosy: This well-wrapped racegoer was resplendent in a warm-looking fur hat which she accessorised with a matching scarf and an inky fur coat
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Style statement: Racegoer Lystra Adams from Staffordshire opts for striking head-to-toe print while Zara York from Somerset combines a fur bolero with a fabulous hat
Inspired by the Musketeers? A racing aficionado sports an ensemble complete with leather gauntlets
Watch out Dorian! A leopard loving lady seems to have been inspired by Birds of a Feather
Unusual: A lady sporting a bizarre ensemble that includes a fur hat and tippet
Butlins is the other way! A gentleman in an eye-catching crimson suit and matching bow tie pauses for a photo as he makes his way into the course
Not so good: Cheltenham does encourage fancy dress, which is perhaps what inspired this look (left). Right: A racegoer in a frothy marabou feather cape
Other fashion disasters included some very over-the-top fur looks, with one lady opting to wear a fur hat so large her eyes and most of her face were hidden beneath the brim.
By contrast, the majority of male racegoers opted for exceedingly British ensembles with preppy red chinos, navy blazers and neatly tailored tweed suits all proving popular.
Inevitably though, there was one boldly-dressed racegoer who managed to make a meal of getting ready for the event although that didn’t stop him from giving fellow guests a thumbs up as he made his way onto the course.
One racegoer who did manage to make the grade was Zara Phillips who returned to the track for the second day in a row, this time in an elegant aubergine wool coat and a matching feather-topped hat, and accompanied by her mother Princess Anne.
And the royal wasn’t the only famous racing fan on hand to watch the action: the Duchess of Cornwall, resplendent in a checked tweed coat, and her son Tom Parker-Bowles both looked in good spirits as they cheered on their horses to victory.
Also on hand to watch the racing was veteran pundit John McCririck, who plumped for a typically eccentric ensemble featuring a pair of navy slacks and a jolly yellow and blue striped jacket, and football commentator John Motson.
Glamorous: A racegoer in a dramatic monochrome ensemble smiles as she arrives while another shows off a spectacular pheasant feather hat (right)
Colourful: A lady sporting a cornflower blue ensemble accessorised with oversized sunglasses
Classic: A racegoer in a red and black ensemble complete with delicate lace gloves
In bloom: A lady sporting an embroidered floral coat and demure brown hat arrives
Glamorous: Racegoer Jennifer Wrynne (left) plumped for a gorgeous pink coat and Louboutin heels, while Alice Fitzgerald opted for a stylishly practical look
Glamorous: Like fellow racegoers, Keira Latham-Byrne and Tracy King both looked gorgeous in elegant wool coats and chic fascinators at Cheltenham
Spring has sprung: Racegoers embraced the sunshine in ensembles that referenced the changing season and the glorious Gloucestershire countryside
Stylish: Racegoer Aimee Archer plumped for a jaunty wide-brimmed fedora hat and long loose locks for her day out on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival
Lovely: Racegoers Tonie Bentley and Sara Walker show off their impressive hats and cosy fur collared coats as they arrive for Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival
Country chic: Tweed and well-polished brogues proved popular among male racegoers while women opted for elegant skirt suits and plenty of fur
Girl in pearls: A racegoer takes an unusual approach to wearing pearls, putting them on her hat instead
Stylish: A glamorous racegoer chooses to match her lipstick red hat to her bag and polished nails
Gorgeous: Racegoer Mary Carty brought her spectacular ensemble all the way from County Meath
Dapper: The tweed suited gentlemen arriving at the races gave the Ladies a run for their money in the style stakes thanks to natty accessories such as two tone brogues
Other early arrivals included the Cheltenham Racecourse girls, who waited to greet racegoers in a set of cosy matching outfits that included black fur cossack hats, khaki tweed coats and shiny brown boots.
More racegoers were seen fortifying themselves for a day at the races in the car park behind the course, where picnics heavy on smoked salmon and champagne were enjoyed.
Although Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival is a more low-key affair than its Royal Ascot *****alent, there’s no shortage of style and plenty of events to enjoy.
When not watching the races themselves, which today include the RSA Steeplechase, the BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Steeplechase and the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, Ladies can visit the fashion Zone Live! where brands such as Holland & Cooper, Jonny Beardsall and L K Bennett are on hand to dispense style advice.
Other highlights include free hand massages courtesy of therapists from the Greenway Hotel and Spa, an establishment ****d in a stunning Elizabethan manor in the nearby Cotswolds, and the chance to take part in Cheltenham’s annual Most Stylish Lady competition.
Top titfers! Pheasant fascinators and fur cossack hats among the headline-worthy headgear at Cheltenham Festival
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Top titfers: Glamorous hats were all over the racecourse at Cheltenham Festival today with everything from dainty pillboxes to pheasant feathered fascinators on display
The hat-wearers of Royal Ascot might garner most of the headlines but that doesn’t mean Cheltenham doesn’t attract a spectacular creation or two of its own.
But while some left onlookers staring, others drew glances for a different reason. Among the terrible titfers on display was a fur number so vast it hid the wearer’s eyes and a flock of pheasant-embellished numbers that took the country theme a little too far.
Among those getting it right was Camilla Duchess of Cornwall who looked cosily stylish in her fur tipped number. Equally glamorous was racegoer Mary Carty from County Meath in Ireland who looked fabulous in her lipstick red fascinator.
Also showing off her style chops was Zara Phillips, elegant in an aubergine pillbox, and racing fan Aimee Archer who looked fresh and modern in her jaunty wide-brimmed fedora hat.
Hurrah! The Duchess of Cornwall looks thrilled as her horse romps home to victory – leaving her son Tom Parker-Bowles out of pocket in the process
Triumph: Camilla beams after being handed her winnings while her son Tom Parker-Bowles seems less than impressed with his losing streak
Ravishing: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall beams as she arrives looking beautiful in a ruffled silk shirt, tweed coat and diamond encrusted pearl necklace
Looking good: Zara Phillips, looking lovely in an aubergine wool coat and matching hat, was joined by her mother Princess Anne for the day out at the races
Family affair: A tweed suited Tom Parker-Bowles joined his mother Camilla Duchess of Cornwall for a day at the races in Gloucestershire
Looking lovely: The Duchess of Cornwall appeared to be on top form as she arrived at the races in an elegant tweed coat and fur trimmed hat
MEET THE FILLIES IN FUR: FROM COSY COATS TO RED CHINOS, COUNTRY CHIC REIGNS SUPREME AT CHELTENHAM
While Aintree is famous for its scantily clad racegoers and Royal Ascot for its hats, the Cheltenham Festival has become synonymous with an altogether more rural approach to dressing.
Eschewing skyscraper heels and flimsy dresses in favour of elegant wool coats and comfortable patent leather boots, the race meeting offers a masterclass in country chic, complete with lashings of tweed and even a flat cap or two.
Unlike Ascot, organisers at Cheltenham refuse to impose a dress code on guests and, beyond exhortations to wrap up warm and avoid anything that might offend, say anything goes – up to and including fancy dress.
But perhaps a warning isn’t required: Although the clothes donned by Gloucestershire’s most fashionable might be rural, the looks on show certainly don’t lack glamour with oversized sunglasses, pearl necklaces and twinkling diamond stud earrings employed to up the fashion ante.
Fur too is a recurring motif, as are hats that take inspiration from rural life. Like the stylish effort deployed by Zara Phillips on day one, many come festooned in pheasant feathers while elegant blooms are a perennial favourite.
Male racegoers aren’t immune from the pull of country style either, with most opting for tweed suits or chic red chinos teamed with a preppy navy blazer and artfully knotted tie.
But whether girls in pearls and princess coats or preppy chaps in Prince of Wales check, the Cheltenham Festival is just as stylish as its Berkshire counterpart.
Top of the class: Chestnut thoroughbred Sire De Grugy ambles into the winner’s enclosure after triumphing in the Queen Mother Champion Steeplechase
Victory lap: Whisper (number two) gallops to victory in the Coral Cup with jockey Nico de Boinville on board as excited racegoers look on
Overjoyed: Jockey Ruby Walsh celebrates with trainer Willie Mullins after riding Faugheen to victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle
Thrilled: Faugheen’s owner, former Barclay’s boss Rich Ricci, celebrates the horse’s victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novice Hurdle
Storming to victory: Faugheen and Ruby Walsh gallop ahead to triumph in the first race of the day, the Neptune Investment Management Novice’s Hurdle
Enjoying the day: Made in Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews appears to have started on the champagne early as he poses with his co-star, Rosie Fortescue, at Cheltenham
No need for lie detector tests here! Chat show host Jeremy Kyle looked dapper in a tweed suit with a natty red collar as he arrived to watch the action at Cheltenham
All business: Veteran racing pundit John McCririck arrives sporting a jaunty navy and yellow striped jacket (left) while (right), a jockey inspects the course
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Definitely a racing fan! An onlooker reveals he’s a veteran of many a race meeting via the impressive selection of enclosure passes that cascade from his binoculars
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Winter warmth: Racegoers enjoy the March sunshine as the inspect the odds at the score of betting stands next to the racecourse
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Breakfast is served: A group of racegoers gather outside the racecourse for a winter picnic complete with lashings of Laurent Perrier champagne
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Popular: The racecourse was buzzing as punters checked the form by the statue of Arkle ahead of the first race, the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle
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Looking for a winner? A pair of racegoers, one in a traditional Barbour waxed jacket and the other in tweed, check the form over a pint of Guinness
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Flashing the cash: A punter counts his money as he decides whether to bet on today’s races, the highlight of which is expected to be the Weatherbys Champion Bumper
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Looking good: The Cheltenham Festival Ladies are resplendent in furry cossack hats and chic tweed jackets as they greet racegoers arriving at the course for Ladies Day
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Ready for the off! A stylishly dressed racegoer in a jaunty red tie peruses racing bible, The Racing Post, ahead of the action on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival .
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Warming up: A jockey walks the course before the action gets underway on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire
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Tasty: A pair of male racegoers arrive at Cheltenham with a basket of essential supplies that includes lashings of champagne and a copy of the Daily Mail
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Catching up: A racegoer in an elegant aubergine hat studies the form before the first race, the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle
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Ready for business: A restocked bar crammed with Moet et Chandon champagne is readied for another glamorous day of racing at Cheltenham
source: Ladies Day fashion at Cheltenham Festival sees fillies swathed in fur and feathers | Mail Online