SLIDESHOW: Six thousand people turn out to Pontefract Races for Ladies Day - and best dressed wins holiday to Sri Lanka

It was noon when the gates opened and the hustle and bustle of race day kicked in.
Best dressed lady winnerBest dressed lady winner
Best dressed lady winner

It was noon when the gates opened and the hustle and bustle of race day kicked in.Men, suited and booted, and women, dresses on and hats in place, filled Pontefract Racecourse with excited chatter about the day ahead.Around 6,000 people turned out for Wednesday’s Ladies Day.And despite heavy downpours the day before, the weather held out for them to enjoy all eight races - without getting wet.One hundred women were handpicked to take part in the best dressed parade, as they entered the grounds.But it was Katie Newsam who won the top prize for best outfit of the day - a holiday for two in Sri Lanka, courtesy of RIU resorts.“I’m really excited, shocked and happy,” she said. “I made the dress and I customised the hat. I’m a fashion designer, I’ve got a shop in Cudworth and I do bespoke, made to measure clothing.”RIU account manager Maria Battersby was among those who judged the competition.She said: “There were lots of beautiful dresses. It’s a shame we can’t choose more people. “You can see there was some detailed work put into Katie’s dress and hat. She’s definitely a worth winner.”Sixteen race meetings are held at the course each year, including Ladies Day and family days.Richard Hammill, assistant manager, said: “Ladies Day was great. We were very lucky with the weather. We had so much rain on Tuesday, it was a nightmare. We were up bright and early having a look at the track on Wednesday morning.“Fortunately the rain stopped and the sun made a bit of an appearance and we were good to go.”

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