Racegoers dressed in all their finery beamed amid overcast skies as they descended on Newmarket racecourse this afternoon.
Despite the grey weather, glamorous attendees lit up the course on Ladies Day of The July Festival 2024.
While Royal Ascot tends to be a more formal occasion, there’s no formal dress code for Newmarket – allowing revellers to express themselves with their fashion.
And today was a riot of colour and glitz, with attendees dressed to the nines in brightly coloured frocks, with Barbie pink very much the standout colour.
The event, which begins today and concludes on Saturday, hosts its Style Awards on Ladies Day as women don their glad rags.
And the style stakes are high, with £8,000 worth of prizes up for grabs in the ‘Sustainable Style’ awards.
Ladies Day at Newmarket is regarded as one of the hottest tickets of the summer season.
Visitors come from far and wide, donning their finest outfits, to enjoy the thrilling racing and compete for the style award.
As attendees descended on the racecourse, they donned their brightest and most glamorous outfits, from frills to netting – and fantastic headgear to boot.
Sadly, there is a sombre not to today’s proceedings.
The racecourse is set to hold a minute’s silence in support of John Hunt after his wife and two daughters were tragically killed earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Hunt’s wife and two daughters were revealed as the victims of a deadly crossbow attack at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
A friend of Mr Hunt’s told how the proud father would often show off pictures of his family.
Richard Hoiles, who has known the BBC racing commentator for 30 years, recalled how John, as ‘one of the most respected and liked members of the press room’, would regularly share with colleagues details of his home life.
The ITV commentator said that he and many others ‘felt we knew’ Mr Hunt’s wife Carol, 61, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
Racing commentator Chamberlin, 50, introduced ITV’s coverage of the racing, and said: ‘We should be excited about the start of the July festival.
‘But as I’m sure you’ve seen in the news, leading commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters were killed yesterday in their own home.
‘We will have four live races for you with John and his family very much in our thoughts.’
He added: ‘In the helter skelter of modern-day life it’s quite easy to lose track of the things that we hold dear, but John never has.
‘I know I hugged my kids tighter last night on leaving for here. Knowing that that simple pleasure has been cruelly snatched away from one of mine, and many in the press room’s, greatest friends.
‘Words just seem hollow and inadequate in such circumstances and all we can try and do is provide some crumb of comfort by trying to exhibit the warmth and respect in which John and his family is held, as will be shown by the many tributes that will be held up and down the country today.’