Cheltenham Festival 2024: Drastic day 2 fashion change as racegoers glam up
CHELTENHAM Festival is back with a bang this week – and revellers have pulled out all the stops with their fashion looks.
Glamorous attendees have arrived for a day of racing in stylish dresses and an array of eye-catching hats for the new Style Wednesday celebrations.
Traditionally the second day of the annual horse racing event was known as Ladies Day, and would see guests, celebrities and royalty alike show off their high fashion ensembles.
However, there is a huge change this year, as the day has now been rebranded as Style Wednesday – and is open to both men and women.
The Cheltenham awards panel will now also include a ‘slow fashion’ awards ceremony, which includes vintage outfits, or those put together from charity shops or online resellers.
Love Island’s Chris Hughes will be dishing out luxury prizes, including a £4,000 Boodles necklace.
Every year, around 250,000 racing fans descend on the famous Gloucestershire racecourse during the four-day event.
While the first day of racing got off to a drizzly start, thousands of guests appeared in high spirits as they arrived for day two.
Royalty arrived in style, with Zara and Mike Tindall back for their second consecutive day at Cheltenham.
Zara looked sleek in a navy coat with burgundy jumper, and perfectly matched her former rugby player husband.
Zara was seen arm-in-arm with Princess Eugenie, who was accompanied by husband Jack Brooksbank.
Many beamed as they donned their fanciest dresses for the thrilling day of racing.
And in true Cheltenham fashion, fashion-savvy racegoers have certainly not held back with their headwear, with many showcasing eye-popping fascinators and bold hats.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024: FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION WITH OUR LIVE BLOG
Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham racecourse has hosted racing since 1815 and is one of the highlights in the racing calendar.
This year the Cheltenham Festival started on Tuesday March 12 and will run until Friday March 15.
The main events are the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Champion Chase on Wednesday, Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, all run at 3.30pm.
It has been announced that today’s big Cross Country Chase, which was due to be run at 4.10pm, has been scrapped altogether following a track inspection.
The race has been abandoned with parts of the track ‘unraceable’ after a deluge of rain.
Local farmers were patrolling the muddy car park to tow any stranded vehicles – after some got stuck causing carnage heading home on Monday.
For more than 200 years, punters have been instructed to wear traditional formal dress, with elaborate get-ups a common sight at racetracks like Cheltenham.
Why has Ladies Day been scrapped at Cheltenham Festival?
A Cheltenham Racecourse spokesperson said: “This year we re-launched day two of The Festival as Style Wednesday to celebrate ‘fast horses, slow fashion’, encouraging racegoers to make more sustainable fashion choices, showcasing their unique and personal style, and to share the stories behind their amazing outfits with friends, family and on social media.
“This includes re-wearing outfits they already have in their wardrobes, purchasing timeless garments to wear again and again and also buying from retailers specialising in pre-loved clothing.”
However, in 2023, The Jockey Club, which runs 15 racecourses including Cheltenham, relaxed the rules and changed the policy to make racing more “accessible and inclusive”.
The dress code for Cheltenham Festival is now whatever makes people feel “comfortable and confident”, the Jockey Club has said.
The previous dress code advised men to wear suits and women to wear cocktail dresses.
CHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL
Now, spectators will be allowed to wear whatever they like at the event, including jeans, trainers and even tracksuits.
However, offensive fancy dress, offensive clothing of any kind and replica sports shirts are still banned.
While spectators won’t be discouraged from dressing smartly if they want to, they will no longer be restricted from certain enclosures based on what they’re wearing.
The Jockey Club has said the old dress code had been “rather outdated in the 21st Century”, and wants spectators to be comfortable in the changeable British weather.