Ladies' Day at St Leger festival makes exotic headgear the clear favourite off track

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.