Royal Ascot is just around the corner, meaning racing fans have been preparing their outfits for months! If you’re a little left behind when it comes to wardrobe preparations for Ladies’ Day, then there’s no need to panic. There’s still time to organise your outfit and ensure you make it to the big day in style and on time.
We’ve got all the tips you need to ensure that your day at the races is the best it can possibly be.
Arriving in Style
Arranging your journey to Ascot isn’t quite as simple as a jaunt down the road to Aintree Racecourse. However, it needn’t be too much of a chore; arriving by public transport to Ascot is generally the quickest way.
Direct trains run from Liverpool Lime Street to Euston; from there, you can take the underground to Paddington or Waterloo. Trains from both of these stations run directly to the course and take just under an hour, meaning that you’ll save at least half an hour compared to travelling by car.
The traffic surrounding Ascot on race days means the hour you could have saved taking the train will increase to two if you hit queues. The other big bonus to taking the train is having a glass or two of champagne on the course, and you snag yourself a few hours of extra preening time whilst you’re travelling.
Planning Your Wardrobe
Your wardrobe will be the part of the day that requires the most planning, particularly if you’re a lady! Gents can wear a suit with a tie and smart shoes and be perfectly well-dressed for the main enclosures, but for women, the stakes are a little higher. It’s generally a good idea to go with a cocktail dress that isn’t too short and has thick straps or sleeves.
If you’d like a more modern look, jumpsuits are becoming increasingly popular. Opt for whatever colour you’d like, but when it comes to accessories, try to colour-match them — this will help you to look more polished and cohesive, which is what photographers are looking for on the day. Complete your look with a hat or fascinator and immaculate makeup, hair, and nails, and you’ll be ready to party with the royals.
How to Place a Bet
Although there’s plenty to enjoy at the races without placing a bet, sometimes it can be fun to watch the horse that you backed sail past the winning post. If you’re looking to bet without wagering your own money, then checking out one of the many royal ascot free bets can help you stretch your pennies further.
Online bookmakers can offer such deals thanks to their comparatively lower overheads, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid the on-course bookmakers altogether. They won’t have such enticing deals, but they can be a good place to spend your extra change.
With that said, if you’ve got a spot in the grandstand that you don’t want to lose, online betting is the way to go.
A Few Final Notes
A day at the races is a wonderful treat, but there are a few rules that you should abide by to make sure that it’s fun for everybody. The first and perhaps most important is to avoid making excessive noise. While horses are used to hearing cheers from the grandstand, a loud noise from an unexpected place can scare them, so try to reserve your celebrations for the stands.
The final note to remember is to avoid the screens when entering and leaving the grandstand. For some races, it will only be possible to see the action on the screen, so it can be frustrating if people pause in front of it for too long.
