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It’s one of the most prestigious race meetings on the British calendar – hosting even the King and Queen tomorrow – but today, glamorous racegoers proved the Epsom Derby festival is equally about the fashion as it is about the horses.
Cheery revellers stepped into the weekend in style as they attended Ladies Day, sporting fancy fascinators adorned with feathers and decadent bows, risqué hemlines and skyscraper heels.
They were joined by a host of celebrities – including Lottie Moss, who opted for a floral number, and equally radiant TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins.
Ladies Day features the third Classic race of the season, The Betfred Oaks, but is also a chance for racegoers to showcase their style.
The ensembles on show at the Epsom Downs Racecourse for the Derby Festival were as daring as ever, with low-scooped corset style tops on display alongside racy thigh splits.
Others dressed for the occasion with bright and vibrant hats, oozing glitz in a bid to be crowned best dressed.
Here come the girls! Spirits were high in Epsom as the weekend celebrations kicked off
Say cheese! Three joyful attendees taking a moment to rest their feet among the celebrations
Waiting for the mane event: Excited guests eagerly anticipated the start of the races
Lottie Moss attended The Jockey Club at Epsom Downs Racecourse for Ladies Day at The Betfred Derby Festival 2026
Women donned their finest frocks and fabulous hats as they descended on the racecourse to kickstart the weekend with a day of festivities.
Pink proved a popular choice, with shades of blush, berry and vibrant fuchsia all on display in the early Surrey sunshine.
Several in flirty frocks and statement jumpsuits arrived in their dozens for the event – a mainstay in Britain’s racing and social calendar.
Many got stuck into the party spirit early, knocking back glasses of Pimms and glasses of Champagne from mini bottles of Moet.
Ladies Day sees the best-dressed attendee crowned in The Style Awards, as the racegoers from the Grandstand and Queen’s Stand enclosures are assessed for the most show-stopping outfit.
It also features the third Classic race of the season, The Betfred Oaks. This highly-anticipated race day is also a chance for racegoers to showcase their style, with colourful dresses, wide-brimmed hats and fancy fascinators.
The website calls Ladies’ Day ‘a spectacular, gleeful celebratory day where people come together to join in racing’s most spectacular carnival’.
Strike a pose! Glamorous racegoers stepped into the weekend in style as they descended on Epsom racecourse for Ladies Day
Strike a pose! The event is a chance for revellers to show off their style, and several racegoers were determined to show off their style prowess
A moment for the glamour! A statement fascinator is a staple for Ladies Day, and one reveller certainly didn’t hold back with her headgear
Horsing around! Excited revelers posed with an entertainer riding a motorised horse ahead of the Betfred Oaks
Strike a pose! Derby revellers dressed for the occasion with bright and vibrant hats
Monochrome magic: One glamorous attendee opted for a thigh-skimming gown and striking white fascinator
Going for glamour: A racegoer showcased her dyed hair and bold outfit choice for Ladies Day
Bottom’s up! One reveller enjoyed her drink while taking a brief moment to sit down ahead of the races
Dress to impress! One reveller opted for a carefully crafted frock and fabulous hat
Looking glam! Laura Hamilton joined the star-studded line-up of attendees at Ladies Day
A vision of sophistication – Anna Whitehouse opted for a glamorous green number as she prepared for the races
Relaxation station! Glamorous revellers put their feet up ahead of the races
Keeping things practical! One savvy racegoer carried a bottle of wine in her bag
Feeling festive: revellers linked arms as they arrived in their masses for the all-important event
Here come the girls! Despite cloudy skies, revellers at the Epsom Derby dressed to impress in bright and bold frocks and fascinators
A moment of glamour! One racegoer opted for a show-stopping monochrome look for the highly-anticipated event
Strike a pose! Donning an entire rainbow of bright colours, revellers struck a pose on opening day of the festival
Hundreds turned out for the event, which has been held at Epsom Downs since 1780
With an incredible prize pot of £1.5million, the race lasts one-and-a-half miles.
The owner normally receives about 75 per cent of a race’s prize money, while the remaining 25 per cent is generally split between the trainer (10 per cent), the jockey (10 per cent) and then the final 5 per cent to stable staff and racing charities.
Cheltenham Racing Festival, which takes place in March, has taken the decision to rename ‘Ladies’ Day’ as ‘Style Wednesday’ to encourage both men and women to take part in the fashion competition.
The Jockey Club, which runs 15 courses across the UK, also ditched the Best Dressed competition.
Instead, the day now includes the Slow Fashion awards, open to both men and women, which ‘celebrates vintage and borrowed items, as well as investment pieces’.
Is dressing to impress at racing events empowering self-expression or outdated pageantry?
Selfie time! Three attendees wearing decorative fascinators captured the moment amid the celebrations
Looking glam! Groups of revellers descended on the annual festivities
A helping hand! One racegoer helped a friend adjust her fascinator ahead of the main event
Tickled pink! Scarlett Keates and Ally Keating wore coordinating looks
Comfort is key! One reveller opted for sandals over heels for the all-day affair
Say cheese! Ladies Day featured two male attendees who beamed for the annual event
Fun in the sun! One group of glamorous racegoers enjoying the brief moment of sunshine
A moment for the blue! One reveller accidentally coordinated her outfit with the decoration of the event
Strike a pose! A group of girls pout for the camera at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on Friday afternoon
Two elated women were snapped hugging one another after the races went in their favour
Racegoers put on a romantic display and shared a kiss during Ladies Day at Betfred Derby Festival at the Epsom Downs
But first, wine! Some attendees rested their legs and enjoyed a chilled glass of wine this afternoon
Ladies Day was all too much fun for one man, who had to take a little lie down on the grass
One young man held a cigar in his mouth as he watched the racing action unfold on Friday afternoon
Two girls, who were dressed to the nines for today’s event, put on a very animated display while watching the sporting event
Funny faces! One woman put her shades on while posing for a picture – and another photobombed her
It was a tense day for some racegoers as they watched to see if their bets would pay off
The owner normally receives about 75 per cent of a race’s prize money, while the remaining 25 per cent is generally split between the trainer (10 per cent), the jockey (10 per cent) and then the final 5 per cent to stable staff and racing charities.
While all eyes are on the runners and riders of the day, the competition also provides the opportunity for the ladies attending to fight it out for who is best dressed on the other side of the fence.
Epsom organisers describe the Derby as the ‘world’s greatest flat race’.
In the past, the event has been attended by a flurry of royals, including the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, and Queen Camilla in attendance.
Held at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, the Derby was first run in 1780.
It is Britain’s richest flat horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics – the other four of which are the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Oaks, and the St Leger Stakes.