EVENT - Best Dressed Lady at Sandown Park, UK

Fashion and glamour are synonymous with any raceday and on Friday 3^rd July, Sandown Park Racecourse want women of all ages to bring out their inner fashionista for the racecourse’s annual Ladies’ Day.  A perfect balance of chic and elegance, the course will come to life with colour as women showcase their individual looks for a stylish summer afternoon of top class racing.This year’s celebrity judge for the highly coveted ‘Best Dressed’ lady title is Donna Air, the British actress, socialite and television presenter.  The winners and runners up will be announced during the afternoon and with some fantastic prizes on offer, the competition is set to be fierce both on and off the track.Judging alongside Donna and offering generous prizes include ethical fashion label Beulah, shoe designer Lele PyP, British Milliner Noel Stewart and Lulu Guinness.Prizes for the winner include a pair of shoes from Lele PyP, chosen from their Mayfair store; a hat selected personally with British milliner Noel Stewart from his studio collection; a personal shopping appointment with one of the stylists in Beulah alongside a £250 voucher plus and an iconic Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch bag.Be it mothers, daughters, sisters, work colleagues or simply just friends, Ladies’ Day at Sandown Park is a time for all women to get together and enjoy a classic day at the races. The perfect curtain raiser for the eagerly anticipated Coral-Eclipse on Saturday 4^th July, one of Britain’s most illustrious flat races.Donna Air says, “I am delighted to be hosting the 'Best Dressed competition' at Sandown Park’s Ladies' Day - a summer’s day out at the races is always so much fun.  This year, the judges are some of my favourite fashion labels, with an amazing prize for the lucky competition winner. In selecting the 'Best Dressed' we will be looking for ladies who epitomize sophistication and elegance, so dress for the occasion and enjoy!"The Coral-Eclipse is a Group 1 race renowned for attracting many of racing’s equine heroes with past winners including greats such as Sadler’s Wells, Sea The Stars and Mukhadram to name just a few. The race is an integral part of Qipco British Champion Series which incorporates the 35 top flat races in Britain, showcasing the best of British racing to the rest of the world.For more information or to buy tickets, simply visit sandown.thejockeyclub.co.uk.

Sandown Park Ladies' Day

England's glorious summer continued at Sandown Park's Ladies' Day, heating the racecourse to a balmy 27-degrees and providing the perfect opportunity to don pretty sundresses once again.There was also an extra reason to sport your best summer frock, with the popular Best Dressed competition attracting many a well-heeled lady, vying for a host of spectacular prizes. Although this particular competition came with a suggested dress code: outfits featuring the colours of the American flag (that's red, white and blue) to celebrate US Independence Day, which just happened to fall on the same day.As Angela had already departed London for the Melbourne winter (unlucky), I called in two of my other race-loving friends, Fiona and Gail, for a true ladies' afternoon at the track. And because we love a good dress code, we all did our best to represent our friends across the Atlantic. This called for some trawling through the archives to dig up an outfit I haven't worn in many years: my 2007 Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field runner-up jockey-inspired polkadots outfit (or just "Polkadots" for short).The Best Dressed competition was to be judged by a Lady(ies) of London, but an American by birth: the beautiful Noelle Reno, star of the Bravo TV series, fashion entrepreneur, blogger and socialite (that's one lengthy email signature!).Six lucky ladies were chosen as finalists, and we were so excited when Fiona and Gail received the "magic calls" to say their Americana outfits had been nominated as two of the six. They were joined by some pretty pastel retro frocks and elegant, streamlined neutral and black ensembles, creating an eclectic mix of racing looks and making Noelle's job even more difficult.Wearing a breezy white Jonathan Saunders for Debenhams top and skirt, and a sun-smart wide-brimmed hat trimmed with veiling by Stephen Jones for Debenhams, Noelle was assisted in her judging task by milliner Ilda di Vico, who contributed a beautiful couture hat to the prize booty. Other prizes included jewellery from Hot Diamonds, Molton Brown bath products, beautiful flowers and a much-desired magnum of Moët et Chandon - and this was all for the winner!We were delighted, surprised, excited and amazed when Noelle announced Gail as the Best Dressed Lady. Gail, who had never entered a Best Dressed competition before, scooped the winner's prize in an outfit that was pulled together just the night before - proving you don't have to spend weeks of effort and large amounts of money to create a winning look. The outfit featured a bargain print dress from the Peter Pilotto for Target collection, a hat (made by me) which she originally commissioned for Royal Ascot, coral red suede pumps from The Kooples and a black belt and clutch bag.Noelle later said in her blog for Optical Express Magazine that she wanted to choose someone who would "really truly appreciate the prize, another sort of underdog". She was thrilled to discover Gail was a mother who had never won anything in her life before, with the exception of some swimming titles.Later that night, as Fiona and I toasted the end of a glorious summer day at Sandown Park, Gail was swapping her glamorous clothes for a swimsuit to compete in her local swim meet. High on adrenaline from being named Best Dressed, she backed-up her win with another first prize that night in the half-mile race. Style and speed - Gail certainly has the perfect combination for trackside success!Photos courtesy of Sandown Park Racecourse.By Lisa Tan

Best Dressed Lady Competition at Sandown Park - EVENT

Sandown Park's Ladies' Day - the precursor to their major Coral-Eclipse raceday - just happens to fall on July 4th this year. So to mark the occasion, Sandown is rolling out the welcome mat to American expats by offering half-price entry for all who bear a valid US passport.And they've also introduced a little American flavour into their anticipated Best Dressed competition by encouraging entrants to wear the colours of the US flag (that's red, white and blue - wear them individually or all together). The event will also be judged by the gorgeous Noelle Reno, American-born entrepreneur, TV presenter, socialite and star of Bravo Network's Ladies of London.Last year's event was judged by the super glamorous Caprice, with Frankie Haylock taking the winner's prize in a feminine white frock, stand-out cobalt blue hat and stunning Valentino rockstud shoes.To get into the American spirit and glam it up with our friends across the pond, here are all the details you need for a fabulous day at Sandown Park.Where: Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Rd, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ.When: Friday, July 4 - Ladies' Day. Gates open at 12 noon and the first race is at 2pm. The Best Dressed competition will be open for entries between 12 and 3pm, with the final set to take place around 4:30pm. Tickets start at £16 (£8 for US passport holders).Prizes: An assortment of goodies from Molton Brown, Hot Diamonds and couture milliner Ilda di Vico.For further info: visit the Sandown Park Racecourse site.Photos from The Mail on Sunday and Sandown Park Facebook page.By Lisa Tan