The style stakes are up as hundreds of women descend on Newmarket Racecourse for Ladies Day on Thursday.
Women arrived in their droves in dresses of all shapes, sizes and colours, but naturally each and every attendee wore a hat.
Headgear ranged from demure fascinators to wide-brim statements as the women battled it out to be crowned best dressed.
Sponsored by a prestigious champagne Moet and Chandon the are certainly classy affair with several attendees indulging in a glass or two of fizz.
Hats at the ready! Racegoers put on a glamorous display as they headed to Newmarket Racecourse for Ladies Day on Thursday
Tall order: Thus duo opted for a pair of sky high hats as they posed for photos before entering the racecourse
Must have backed a winner! Racing fans couldn’t hid their excitement as they cheered on the riders on a sunny afternoon at Newmarket Races
First, let’s take a selfie! A colourfully dressed pair made sure to take a snap to remember their day by. A woman in a very elaborate floral headpiece laughed with friends as they soaked up the atmosphere
Here come the girls! A group of friends stepped out in all their finery for an afternoon of sporting action
Ladies Day at Newmarket is regarded as one of the hottest tickets of the summer season and visitors come from far and wide, donning their finest outfits, to enjoy the thrilling racing, epic entertainment compete in the hotly contested Best Dressed Lady Competition.
The Style Awards Best Dressed Lady offers ladies a chance to win a wonderful array of prizes just by donning their most stylish outfit.
Racegoers were blessed with good weather as they arrived in Suffolk for the first day of the annual festival, with sun shining on the racecourse.
Style queens! The best dressed woman at today’s races will win a prize so attendees were dressed to impress this afternoon
Arriving in style! A horse-drawn carriage transports racegoers from the Town Centre to the racecourse on Ladies Day
In the navy! Dresses came in all shapes, colours (mainly blue here) and sizes but naturally not outfit went without an extravagant piece of headgear
Lady in red! Among the high profile appearances today is jockey and former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton. Meanwhile, two elegant friends posed up a storm for the cameras
Top effort: Hats ranged from demure fascinators to enormous wide brimmed creations as showcased by these two ladies
Lady like: This trio of women were among the most elegant of the arrivals in Suffolk, including one (right) who had got her hands on the sellout Topshop dress
Cheers to that! A brightly dressed couple upped the sartorial stakes and enjoyed a glass of champagne on arrival
Red white and blue! Between them this pair had inadvertently dressed in the colours of the Union Jack
Making a statement! This trio opted for an array of bright floral prints and oversize fascinators for the event
A work of art! This group of racegoers added a splash of colour to the occasion arriving in an array of eye-catching outfits
Glamour gals! This stunning foursome showcased an array of eye-popping colours and chic embellished dresses
High spirits! The atmosphere among the arrivals was certainly buzzing as ladies made their way into the enclosure
Set up camp! Visitors certainly seemed to be in it for the long-haul setting up picnic tables complete with a buffet lunch
Knees up! A group of sharply dressed musicians encouraged dancing among racegoers as they performed
Gearing up: Spectators assembled as the horses were paraded along the track ahead of the races
Champagne to go please: A brightly dressed lady could be seen carrying her bottle of fizz in a portable wine cooler
Today is the first of the annual festival and racegoers were eager to get their early and place their bets with the entry lines filling up fast this morning.
The racing kicks off with Britain’s oldest horse race, The Newmarket Town Plate. This historic, amateur horse race, which has been run at Newmarket’s Round Course since 1666 was instigated by King Charles II, who also won the first running, and stated that it should be run ‘forever’.
The other racing highlight will be the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes, which has been won for the last two years by the prolific Big Orange.
Elsewhere across the course, there’s plenty of live music and other entertainment throughout the day. Blue’s Simon Webbe will be DJ’ing at Après Racing on Ladies Day as the last race comes to an end.
Newmarket takes centre stage for the next three days with its popular festival climaxing with the Darley July Cup on Saturday.
Easy breezy: A gust of wind blew in giving this group a windswept and interesting photo finish
Prints charming! This trio of ladies opted for an array of prints in a series of chic pink dresses
Tats fantastic! One woman chose to showcase her many inkings in a strapless fitted dress for today’s races
Strawberries and cream: These pals went for coordinating cream and red ensembles complete with matching hats
Tally ho! What better way to arrive at the races than on board a vintage horse drawn buggy as these spectators chose to do
Excitement in the air: Today is the first of the annual festival and racegoers were eager to get their early and place their bets
Join the queue! The lines were starting to fill up as guests headed into the racecourse in sunny Suffolk on Thursday
Place your bets! Women were eager to place their wagers in hope of winning big at the races