Cheltenham punters vote with their feet as return of Ladies Day sees a rise in attendance
Flashy jackets and eye-catching outfits glistened in the winter sun as growing crowds celebrated the return of Ladies’ Day in Cheltenham.
After a five-year hiatus, the tradition returned on Wednesday as thousands turned out for the festival, singing the praises of fashion and feet.
Attendance was up 10 per cent on last year, when the figure fell to a 30-year low following the failed rebranding of Festival Wednesday and then Style Wednesday.
It was a huge boost for organizers, who had seen attendance dwindling for several years on the festival’s second day and achieved a three per cent increase in numbers on the opening day.
Among those celebrating the occasion at Prestbury Park was the Queen, who was photographed meeting a group of trailblazing women, including two members of the England Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning team and Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey to win both the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Zara Tindall and Carole Middleton also attended the meeting to form the royal ranks.
Compared to opening day, there was a marked increase in the number of women in the usually male-dominated crowd. On the eve of the event, organizers said a third of ticket buyers were women.
Total attendance increased from 41,941 to 46,317 last year.
“I think it’s great to see so many women here and to see so many women looking amazing,” said hat maker Carollee Emery, who was at the festival with her partner Nathan Oliver.
The couple attracted attention with their flashy hats decorated with ostrich, peacock and pheasant feathers.
“They took all night to make it,” said Miss Emery, of Chard, Somerset. “I made these especially for Women’s Day. I love the event because you can come in any outfit you want and be outrageous.”
“I didn’t care about Style Wednesday [its former name]but I think the prestige of Women’s Day is much more attractive and attracts more people, men and women.
Lucy Taylor also welcomed the move. Miss Taylor, wearing a Charlotte Simone jacket from Northampton, said: “Competitions tend to attract large groups of boys so it’s nice to have a day focused on encouraging groups of girls. The sport needs it and you can see a lot of people embracing it today.”
Friends Diggy Rodber, Stevie Scanlan and Sarah-Jane Mairie said Wednesday was the best dressing opportunity of race week. And although Style Wednesday offered the same chance, they said Women’s Day correctly publicized the event.
Ms Rodber said: “It’s such a big deal and you can only hope that it gets more women into racing because it’s really great here.”
Women’s Day was canceled in 2019 with a move to rename it Style Wednesday in 2022, prompting accusations of “wokeness” against the organisers, whose decision to return was clearly down to marketing strategy.
Among those criticizing the move was former Tory minister and now Reform UK member Nadine Dorries. speaking on Wednesday Great Britain NewsShe said: “I’m so glad they’ve acted sensibly, the wokeness has gone and they’ve given us our day back. It’s Women’s Day. It’s not Ascot.”
The campaign to promote Women’s Day was led by former jockey Ms Blackmore, and a dedicated area for entertainment and live music was set up as part of the event.
“I think Cheltenham has really taken steps to make this a truly inclusive festival for everyone and Women’s Day has certainly returned with a bang this year,” Ms Blackmore said.
Guy Lavender, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “When we decided last year to bring Ladies Day back to 2026, we were determined to really engage with female racers and women who had either ridden the race before but not in a while, or who had never joined us at Cheltenham in the past.
“Working with Rachael Blackmore, the team have worked really hard to announce and promote the second day of the Festival as Women’s Day, while also delivering great experiences today.”
