Here come the girls…

THERE will be a lot of heels and hats today at the races, as the ladies come out in full force at Prestbury Park. Many women who are flocking to the races this year will have spent weeks preparing what they would be wearing to this momentous occasion.

Ladies Day is well known for fashionable women to flaunt their most outrageous and bizarre outfits, from bejewelled fascinators to feathered hats, Cheltenham will have it.

The stands and boxes are filled with horse bettors watching the Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase, a top event in the timetable today. Another event is the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, which is a race for horses that are four years old.

Day two at the races and Europe has been reported to be in “tip-top shape” as the 10 year old tries to retain his crown at the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase today. According to the Press Association, the 10-year-old has a tremendous record at Cheltenham, having also won the Arkle in 2010, and he has had a good season so far, winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December and the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown last month

“He’s in good form. Everything’s gone OK so far, so we’re happy enough. He’s travelled over well and the ground looks OK. He’s won an Arkle and this race so we’re hoping he can run another big race,” said trainer Henry de Bromhead.

The Press Association also reported how Jockey Barry Geraghty also feels there is to more to come from the second-season chaser, saying: “He hasn’t delivered on his potential this year. I think there’s better to come from him. He ran a good race at Ascot but just from the turn in, I expected more and it just wasn’t there.

“I just don’t think we saw the best of him at Ascot and I hope we do at Cheltenham because he’ll be a big player if we do. He’ll have his ground, but so will Big Zeb and Sizing Europe. It’s a top-class race.”