As the Cheltenham Festival 2023 approaches, find out what exactly goes down on Day two commonly referred to as Ladies Day, race card, royal family appearances, ‘Best Dressed Competition’ and more
The Gold Cup, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, is arguably the biggest race of the entire festival, but the Ladies Day on 15th March has its own reason to be special.
Cheltenham Festival 2023 Ladies Day schedule, date, race time, races and outfits
Princess Anne and Zara & Mike Tindall are attending day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival 🏇 pic.twitter.com/Fo8PILcqzJ
— CoutureAndRoyals (@CoutureRoyals) March 16, 2022
Vogue Williams joins elegant Charlotte Hawkins for Ladies' Day at Cheltenham Festival: The Irish DJ and reality star, 34, attended Cheltenham Festival's Ladies Day alongside Good Morning Britain's Charlotte, 44, on Wednesday morning. https://t.co/b6n2uinv70 pic.twitter.com/Jf94uLXmZc
— RushReads (@RushReads) March 11, 2020
Among all the race days, the Day Two event – Ladies Day is unquestionably the most eventful day in terms of off-course events.
Ladies Day Race Card
Despite the given timings on the race card, they are subject to change for all sorts of reasons. The Cheltenham Festival organizers will however try to stick to the routine as much as possible. Given below are the race card details for Cheltenham Festival 2023 Day Two – Ladies Day:
Race 1 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
| Start time | 13:30 |
| Grade | Grade 1 |
| Distance | 2m 5f (4225m) |
| Fences | 10 |
| Course | Old Course |
Race 2 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
| Start Time | 14:10 |
| Grade | Grade 1 |
| Distance | 3m 80y (4900m) |
| Fences | 20 |
| Course | Old Course |
Race 3 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
| Start Time | 14:50 |
| Grade | Premier H’cap |
| Distance | 2m 5f (4225m) |
| Fences | 10 |
| Course | Old Course |
Race 4 – Queen Mother Champion Chase
| Start Time | 15:30 |
| Grade | Grade 1 |
| Distance | 1m 7f 199y (3200m) |
| Fences | 13 |
| Course | Old Course |
Race 5 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
| Start Time | 16:10 |
| Grade | Class 2 Chase |
| Distance | 3m 6f 37y (6070m) |
| Fences | 32 |
| Course | Cross Country |
Race 6 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
| Start Time | 16:50 |
| Grade | Premier H’cap |
| Distance | 1m 7f 199y (3200m) |
| Fences | 13 |
| Course | Old Course |
Race 7 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper
| Start Time | 17:30 |
| Grade | Grade 1 |
| Distance | 2m 87y (3300m) |
| Course | Old Course |
What To Expect On Ladies Day
The Cheltenham Festival is above all else a horse racing event. However, Day Two features the most eventful day of the week due to what happens not just on the track but off-course. Over the years, Ladies Day has become notoriously more famous for the fashion that women bring while watching the races. The Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and entertaining experiences.
The Royal Family
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the most important race of Day Two. In fact, many members of the Royal Family have made an appearance on Ladies Day. Zara Phillips is a prime example who is usually present on most days of the Festival. The royal previously owned a property in Cheltenham with her husband Mike Tindall.
Moreover, race 4 is named in honour of the Queen Mother who would regularly attend the event. The queen was a keen racing lover. Although the event may indeed bring in a lot of celebrities, Ladies Day at heart, is all about the general public and the womenfolk in particular.
‘The Best Dressed Competition’
Each year, on Ladies Day there is a Team Captain for Ireland and a Team Captain for Great Britain. Both are usually glamorous ladies, such as Miss England Elizabeth Grant the Irish model Roz Purcell in the past.
This is because there are teams representing Ireland and Great Britain in the ‘Best Dressed Competition’. Though the competition may sound trivial, it comes with a £10,000 prize. The lady who is judged to be the most fashion conscious on that day wins the competition and the reward.