I attended my first ever Ladies Day at Newcastle Racecourse and here is what I thought

I have never attended a day at the races before. The event has never hugely appealed to me, I’m conflicted on how I feel towards horse racing in general, and I’ve never been a gambler (I’m still yet to even put the lottery on).

However, when a friend of mine suggested our next girls day out could be at Newcastle Racecourse’s Ladies Day on Saturday, July 29, I decided it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.

We were lucky on Saturday to be treated to a fair bit of sun, which was lovely, as I’m unsure if the event can be enjoyed as much in the pouring rain.

We arrived at the race course donned in our best clothes, which was certainly the highlight of the day for me. I loved getting dressed up in semi-formal wear, and thoroughly enjoyed looking at all of the other beautiful dresses, hats, fascinators and bags that the Ladies Day attendees were wearing for the occasion.

I wore a patterned floral pink wrap dress from In The Style, paired with nude strappy block heels,  my trusty River Island nude and gold sparkly bag and a hot pink fascinator. My group of gal pals were equally dressed up in gorgeous dresses and statement accessories.

The fashion aspect of the day was certainly the best part. We were in prime position to see the line-up of those chosen to be in the running for Best Style, and I was in awe of some of the colourful, bold outfits that those people totally pulled off.

The food and drink options available on the day were great, and I chose to drink Prosecco Rose and Pimms, which to me are perfect Ladies Day drink choices. For food, I wasn’t super hungry so I settled for a hot dog.

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The racing itself was a little bit fun but I became bored fairly quickly. I put three bets on in total, purely just for the experience. One of the horses I bet on placed, meaning I got a little bit of my money back. I certainly haven’t gained the betting bug though.

There was after race entertainment, courtesy of former Boyzone member Ronan Keating. I think for those who aren’t interested in the horse racing itself, having a bit of sing-a-long afterwards would be the perfect end to the day. Sadly, my friends weren’t bothered on seeing Ronan’s performance and wanted to leave early, so I missed out on watching him belt out the likes of Life Is A Rollercoaster and If Tomorrow Never Comes.

Overall, it was a fairly nice day and I certainly enjoyed getting dressed up, but I’m not sure if it is an event I would attend again. I can totally see why it is an experience people can enjoy, and Newcastle Racecourse certainly put together a fantastic event, but I just don’t think it’s my cup of tea (or should I say glass of prosecco).