Racegoers soak up the sun at Aintree’s Ladies Day

Racegoers have donned bright colours and extravagant hats to soak up the sun at Aintree’s Ladies Day.

About 50,000 people are expected at the Merseyside racecourse for the second day of the Randox Grand National Festival, which is known for its fashion.

Punters enjoyed the April sunshine on Friday, which could be the UK’s warmest day of the year so far.

Gill Carpenter, of Lydiate in Merseyside, attends the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool (Danny Lawson/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Danny Lawson

Ladies Day regular Gill Carpenter, 58, from Lydiate in Sefton, was one of many who had chosen a hot pink coloured outfit.

She said: “Aintree’s special anyway but Aintree in the sun, you just can’t beat it. I love a bit of pink, who doesn’t love a bit of pink on Ladies Day?”

She accessorised her off-the-shoulder dress with a huge handmade floral fascinator but said: “It’s surprisingly light, I can’t really feel it. Ask me again at about 4pm!”

Viv Jenner, 51, had also made her own headwear – a white and red fascinator with butterflies and feathers – but needed to ensure she was able to transport it from her home in Ascot.

She said: “My remit was that I needed a hat that I could fit in a hatbox that was compliant to the airline specifications.

“Because a lot of this is on wires, I was able to take it out of the box and unfold all the wires and it became literally twice the size.”

Eilish Waters, 55, from Hexham, Northumberland, topped her red outfit off with a large hat in the shape of a rose which she said would help her husband Alex, 80, spot her in the crowd.

She said: “My sense of direction is rubbish so if I get lost he’ll find me!”

Eilish Waters, from Hexham, Northumberland, at Aintree’s Ladies Day (Mike Egerton/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Mike Egerton

Racegoers were able to enter the annual Style Awards as they arrived at the course on Friday, with a £3,000 River Island voucher on offer for the two best-dressed.

Hair salon owner Andrea Connell, 55, from Wigan, said she and the 11 friends she was at Aintree with spent almost a year planning their outfits.

“We have a group chat with everybody sharing ideas,” she said.

Her friend Denise Alker, 75, from Bolton, added: “We just absolutely love everything about Ladies Day. The feeling of the place, the ambience, it’s just so wonderful, and of course you can’t forget the racing.”

Heather Burnside, 56, from Edinburgh, who co-ordinated a gold fascinator and dress, said the day combined her two passions – racing and glamour.

She said: “I saw the fascinator and then just got the rest of the outfit to go with it.

“I always like something that’s a wee bit different so I thought this was spot on.”

Heather Burnside, from Edinburgh, at Aintree (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

The race meet began on Thursday, when almost 23,000 people turned out for Opening Day, and will culminate on Saturday when the Grand National steeplechase is run.