Thousands of stylish racegoers flocked to Scone for the most glamorous fixture of the year – ladies day.
Blessed by fine weather Thursday’s race meeting had an added draw for the crowds, a substantial prize for the best dressed lady.
The runaway winner – who found herself £2,000 richer for her chic outfit – was Debbie Grogan who caught the eye of the judges in her vintage 1940’s style poppy dress.
Debbie, who is from Yorkshire but working in Dundee on a contract job, said she had already decided how to spend her unexpected windfall.
“I am going to invest it wisely in shoes, handbags and champagne,” said Debbie, 51.
The prize was sponsored by St John’s Shopping Centre which contributed £1,000, with Perth Racecourse doubling it to make it Scottish racing’s largest ever best dressed cash prize.
Congratulating all the ladies who made a sartorial effort and in particular Debbie, a spokesperson for Perth Racecourse said: “It was a perfect end to the day, the culmination of the fabulous ladies day which continues to grow in popularity year on year.
“There were almost 6,000 of the Perth faithful who turned up on Thursday.
“The £2,000 prize certainly upped the style stakes.”
Perth Racecourse chief executive Hazel Peplinksi agreed that while the event’s crowds were always the best dressed of the year, the financial incentive seemed to have made the competition even stiffer than usual.
“Ladies Day is a huge fixture in our racing calendar and always draws in a stylish crowd,” she said.
Another big winner of the event was charity with Breast Cancer Now enjoying a hefty financial boost thanks to the generosity of the crowds.
”We are delighted that once again Breast Cancer Now, a charity which does so much good work for a cause that has an impact on so many, should benefit,” said the spokesperson.
Ladies day was the second of two fixtures this week, with Party in the Paddock, Perth’s first evening meeting of the season, taking place on Wednesday night.
The events follow the successful three-day Perth Festival, which saw over 11,000 people grace the parklands of Scone to kick off the racing season and they are now looking forward to Perth Gold Cup Day on June 5.
