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Enjoy it on video: Ladies' Day at the St Leger Festival
FOR months they'd been planning the perfect eye-catching outfit, matching the right oversized piece of headgear to a glamorous dress and picking out a gravity-defying pair of heels.
And yesterday, with brand-new spray tans, flawless make-up and professional manicures, the women of Yorkshire were out in force for the annual Ladies' Day at Doncaster Racecourse's St Leger festival.
For those who had blown a month's wages on their dresses and fascinators, the horse racing very much took a back seat to winning the coveted "Best Dressed" prize.
This year's winner, in a timeless, elegant dress and a vintage hat, was Victoria Slingsby, who works for the Environment Agency as a climate change officer. She wore a shimmering black calf-length Roberto Cavalli dress, tailored for a perfect fit, with Christian Louboutin shoe-boots and a black hat borrowed from her mother.
The 25-year-old, originally from Doncaster, but now living in Peterborough, said: "Before they announced the winner I was shaking like a leaf. I'm absolutely shocked.
"I come to Ladies' Day every year and this year I knew I wanted to wear something vintage. I go to my mother for fashion advice – she's got a wonderful fashion sense."
As well as the star prize of the use of a convertible Mini Cooper for a year, Ms Slingsby also won a stay at the Crown Hotel in Bawtry, jewellery and vouchers to spend in a range of stores.
Another racegoer to go to an especial effort for Ladies' Day was Michelle Foley, from Nottingham, who made her own blue peacock feather hat.
The 28-year-old online bookseller said she makes hats as a hobby.
She added: "I made this one especially for the St Leger this year, it only took a few hours."
Tara Welland from Mexborough, meanwhile, had been planning her butterfly-themed outfit for months and sourced her designs from local boutiques Cherish and Poses.
She said: "I was thinking I wanted butterflies this year, and had had the outfit in mind all year."
Tomorrow's programme of races for the four-day festival in Doncaster includes the St Leger itself – the world's oldest, classic horse race – which gets underway at 3.20pm.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Thursday 23 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
