How to do Ladies Day at Beverley Races in style

Laurent Perrier Mercier Rose

In every aspiring socialite's diary there are certain events that are not to be missed but through various travel and work commitments, Ladies Day at Beverley Races has sadly been off my radar for a fair few years now.

The last time I went I corralled a group of my girl friends together for an outing and we had great fun doing brunch in the town beforehand and having an afternoon of racing, drinks and giggles.

When I was invited this year to Ladies Day I was excited to see how the event had grown since I last attended and especially because I'd heard such amazing things about all of the F's - the fashion, food, and the fellas (just kidding if the Carnivore is reading this!), I meant the fizz, of course

The fashion stakes have been upped when it comes to Beverley's biggest event but without time to go shopping, I pulled everything out of my wardrobe until I narrowed it down to two outfits.

I found the perfect dress to tap into the pink trend that has been on the catwalks but opted for a timeless, ladylike style that works so well for the races.

Instagram encouraged me to go to the dark side with my accessories and I swept my hair up into Heidi Plaits to avoid becoming a hot mess later in the day.

I grabbed my date, the Carnivore, who looked like the perfect Yorkshire country gent in his tweed and chinos, before high tailing it out of the door.

The sun shone down on us as we made our way to the racecourse, following behind the many other race goers all decked out in their finest.

The characterful cows of the westwood looked on at us in bemusement, wondering what all the fuss was about, as we paraded by, eager to get into the grounds and enjoy that first cool refreshing pimms.

Groups of girls lugged large picnic hampers, taking a handle each, as they made their way to the family enclosure with picnic blankets under their arms.

 As we arrived at the Premier Enclosure quite the crowd was forming with all of Yorkshire's beautiful young things. Pretty girls in Audrey Hepburn inspired skirts and handsome boys suited and booted, with their hair perfectly coiffed.

The last time I went to Ladies Day it was mainly groups of women and a few veteran racegoers, now it's a real mixed affair with as many gents as ladies.

As soon as we arrived we wanted a cool drink and we also needed some money, so off we trotted to the ATM. Here's a big tip - everyone was doing the same and the bars don't take cards, so make sure you get your cash before you arrive at the course.

After we'd filled the coffers with cash we hoped not to lose on the races, we made our way to the 1690 bar which was our favourite the last time we were here. We ordered a bottle of prosecco, which was quite reasonably priced we thought, and came with a handy cooler bag to keep it icy.

We soaked up the atmosphere and the sun for a while, mingling in amongst the growing crowd, before making our way to the other side of the course. The music, the marquees and steady stream of fashionistas piqued our interest so we went to explore.

A line of white tents gleamed in the midday sun, where we found a pop up restaurant for VIP guests, dontcha know, and the St Stephen's style marquee, which had a full size catwalk and some very exciting brands showcasing their wares. River Island, Topshop and Boux Avenue were among the brands sending models down the runway dressed in the latest trends.

Before I lost the Carnivore to boredom, we set off in search of food and beer to keep him happy. There was a good choice of stalls on this side of the course with tasty morsels like gourmet burgers and churros to keep most satisfied and then we set off to sample some of the Wold Top Brewery 's craft beers.

Before long it was time for the races to begin so we placed our bets, using my usual style of looking at the horse and colour of the jockey's blazer to pick a winner, whilst the Carnivore checked out the odds.

We both had some good wins the last time we were there and we hoped for similar luck this time. I rarely spend more than a few pounds on a bet I'm not sure about but my horse came third and I had a small win on an each way bet.

We vowed to do better next time and looked for a seat on the concourse but it had gotten so busy that there was barely a space unoccupied. The event draws in such large crowds these days from all over the country. I could hear accents from all around including Scotland, Liverpool, Newcastle and the West Country.

After a couple more races, we headed back over to the Style Marquee, as a rather exciting competition was about to start. We quickly found out that you can't take drinks from one side to the other and so were delayed slightly whilst we finished off our beverages.

Once we got over there Delacey Spa were just finishing their hair and beauty demonstrations and people were taking their seats in the marquee ready for the big event. Coronation Street's Ryan Thomas had been going around the racecourse with his trusty friend Dobby the Daschund looking for the best dressed women and men.

First up was the best hat category and there were some stunning creations but the winner was well deserved, with a spiky colourful number that you could spot across the course.

Next up Ryan brought on the best dressed men and women who each took a turn on the catwalk. The men all looked dashing, with my personal favourite being the gent in a beautiful checked suit and the ladies looked so colourful, with a lady in blue really catching my eye. But there could be only one winner and the crowd cheered as they were announced and given their prizes.

As we left the marquee I saw a lady covered in daisies and loved the outfit so snapped a quick picture.





Earlier I had spotted a gorgeous vintage prosecco van which made my life and I couldn't resist getting a photo with it, quickly followed by a glass of fizz.

We placed more bets and had a few wins, with us breaking even overall, which was not a bad effort. I guess you win some, you lose some but it was great fun taking part. There are few things as thrilling on a Wednesday afternoon than shouting for your favourite horse and the elation when it comes in.

As the glare of the sun started to give way to dusk, groups of friends gathered together celebrating each other's wins and jeering about it being their round, while others snapped selfies, posing up a storm in their fabulous racing regalier. People who had arrived as strangers had found new friends and maybe even new love interests.

Soon it was time to say goodbye to another Ladies Day, definitely the finest event in the Beverley calendar from what I'd witnessed. We passed by those inquisitive cows one last time, who gave us the most cursory of glances before returning to the cud.

The party went on in Beverley town's trendiest restaurants and bars until late into the night and as we sat down for tapas at Lucias, we could hear new friends making plans for a reunion at next year's Ladies Day.

Have you been to Ladies Day at Beverley yet? Which is your favourite race meet? I'd love to do Ascot one day and I've heard great things about Cheltenham.

Thanks to The Journal for use of some of their photographs.