Aintree revellers swig champagne at the first day of the Grand National festival

Aintree revellers partied their way into the evening after attending the first day of the Grand National today.

It had all started so well for the well-dressed racegoers – but as the champagne flowed, the hours of drinking began to take their toll with some ladies turning away from the racecourse action to take tipsy selfies and kick off their heels. 

Some were pictured enjoying their drinks, perched on each others’ shoulders or even sprawled on the floor at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool.

Earlier in the day, glamorous racegoers had pulled out all the fashion stops as they arrived at the festival, which is one of the most highly-anticipated events of the racing calendar.

Around 150,000 people are expected to attend the three-day occasion, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world, over the next few days.

As they arrived in all their finery, the attendees battled against chilly temperatures and high winds from Storm Noa. 

A sea of colour flooded into the racecourse as guests arrived in bright pinks and greens ahead of the first day of action.

One attendee no doubt turned heads as she strutted along in a hot pink power suit, while another stunned in a green satin skirt with a matching coat to protect herself from chilly temperatures.

Last year’s event, which was the first ‘back-to-normal’ festival since the pandemic, saw revellers make up for lost time as they boozed and partied the festival away.

And it looks like this year will be no different as revellers were pictured heading to the bar and cracking open the bubbly shortly after arriving. 

Cheers! One woman, dressed in a sleek satin dress, seemingly drank straight from the bottle as the camera pointed on her

Whoops! One young reveller appeared to stumble while carrying a glass of bubbly and trying to hold onto her hat at the same time

A well-earned rest: A group of friends take a time-out on the ground with their drinks, after standing around in heels all day

A pair of savvy racegoers came prepared for a long day of standing around and brought contingency flip flops with them 

Walk carefully! One woman braved the elements as she walked as carefully as possible while carrying a pint of stout

Revellers dressed in pink looked like they were enjoying themselves as they carried bottles of wine and champagne

Oops! One person appeared to struggle in her high heels after a day at the races in Liverpool

Last year, 50-1 price, Noble Yeats, sealed a stunning Grand National win, edging favourite Any Second Now and Delta Work. 

While Aintree may not have the royal touch Ascot does, it certainly holds its own in the fashion stakes when it comes to flashing the flesh.

As well as killer heels, thigh-skimming dresses and plunging necklines, the event is famous for its display of flamboyant headgear.

This year’s Grand National Festival will draw to a close on Saturday, with the final race taking place at 6.20pm.

Two pals appeared deep in conversation as they chatted and walked through the racecourse, with one sporting a mauve suit

Coming prepared! One person arrived at the racecourse with a bag of ice, ready to hold their champagne

This racegoer, dressed in a chic sapphire dress and vibrant multicoloured heels, cracked open the bubbly and had three glasses ready for her pals