Aug
1
to 5 Aug

Glorious Goodwood

Hats and binoculars at the ready! Sitting somewhere between Royal Ascot and the Derby in terms of the formality, the Earl of March's summer race meeting is in an estate in a gorgeous setting on the Downs.

Ladies' Day is on Thursday, August 3rd, and don't miss The Stewards' Cup – a 28-horse cavalry charge – on the last day; jolly good horsey fun.

Glorious Goodwood

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Jun
27
to 1 Jul

Henley

Our most famous river regatta started life as a jolly carnival in 1839 and only gradually evolved into a rowing competition. The course is one mile, 550 yards long and only two boats compete per race; some days there are as many as 90 races.

What's all the fuss about?
Seeing some formidable rowing – Olympians alongside club rowers – and the lunatic outfits, worn by the members of various rowing clubs.

Do I need to dress up?
Only in the Stewards' Enclosure (for members or by invitation only); there is no general dress code in the Regatta Enclosure and there is public access along the towpath, so you can take a picnic, wear what you like and watch without charge.

Henley Regatta

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Jun
20
to 24 Jun

Royal Ascot

This is it, the big-hat act, with the extra frisson of daily royal attendance. Queen Anne founded Ascot in 1711, but Edward VII helped turn it into a hot ticket. Ladies' Day – or "Gold Cup Day".

Bookies take bets on the Queen's hat colour; try William Hill on www.queens-hat.com

What's all the fuss about?
Excellent racing – the best is on Tuesday – allied with eccentric hats, famously posh car-park picnics (Car Park 1 is the address to aim for) and a chance of spotting a member of the Royal family.

Do I have to dress up?
Royal Enclosure? Morning dress, please ("no cravats", pleads the website, "they're for weddings") and you'll struggle to find a lady without a hat in the Grandstand. But anything goes in the Silver Ring, outside the enclosures.

Anything I shouldn't miss?
The Royal Procession of four open carriages that takes about nine minutes to trundle along the course to the Royal Enclosure at 2pm every day.

Royal Ascot

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Jun
3
2:30 pm14:30

The Derby - Ladies Day

The Derby is one of the most famous flat races in the world, dating back to 1780, and offers the biggest prize money in Britain: £1.25 million. It's always been a "Londoners' Day Out": Parliament used to break for the annual jaunt to Epsom.

The vibrant atmosphere, roaring laughter and thundering hooves of top quality racing are what make the Investec Derby Festival an unmistakably British event and The Greatest Summer Celebration.

Rain or shine, every year on the first Friday of June, a multitude of ladies and gents head to Epsom Downs Racecourse to experience a day full of high octane racing, music, glamour and fashion. Across the Queen’s Stand to The Hill there is an air of excitement all round.

Dressed to impress, Ladies in the Queen’s Stand and Duchess’s Stand are invited to enter the Style Awards with the promise of not only taking the title but going home with some superb prizes. With a series of six races throughout the day and post racing DJ set in the Hyperion Bar it’s a day to mark the start of your summer.

Epsom Derby

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