Horse racing may be the focus of proceedings, but as any canny style watchers know Aintree is really all about the outfits.
The Grand National is renowned for its daring displays of fashion, and early arrivals on the first day of the festival did not disappoint.
Eager revellers started streaming through the gates of the Merseyside course from 11am today, dressed to impress in mini dresses and feathered fascinators.
While Cheltenham is all about the tweed country looks, Aintree is its more risqué cousin – and the looks on display this morning certainly lived up to that assessment, with many racegoers opting for thigh-skimming ensembles and plunging frocks.
Commanding attention in their racy numbers, revellers went all out in figure-hugging dresses, sheer attire and lacy looks as they flashed the flesh for their big day out.
Unlike Royal Ascot which adopts stricter rules on what to wear, the three-day festival, which hosts the showpiece Grand National race on Saturday afternoon, takes a more relaxed approach and tells attendees to simply come ‘dressed to feel your best’.
Fancy dress for revellers is also allowed, as long as the costume isn’t offensive or derogatory.
Yellow appeared to be a theme of the day, as glamorous racegoers brought the sunshine in off-the-shoulder frocks and halterneck dresses.
Elsewhere, one woman turned heads in a plunging black maxi dress, complete with a thigh-high split and a deep V-neckline.
Another racegoer showcased her enviable figure in a white mini dress featuring statement sleeves as she posed up a storm at the racecourse.
The revellers will no doubt soon be joined by famous faces, with the likes of Coleen Rooney and Helen Flanagan regularly attending the yearly occasion.
The festival, which this year takes place from Thursday 9 April to Saturday 11 April, is one of the biggest events in the global sporting calendar and attracts around 150,000 people to Aintree each year.
It is also broadcast live to a television audience of around 800million people worldwide.
The Grand National on Saturday, known as the People’s Race, draws attention across the UK in a way that perhaps no other horse race is able to do.
Home to the world’s greatest steeplechase, the race is run over around 4 miles 2 1/2 furlongs.
It includes 30 fences to be jumped over two laps, making it the longest horse race in Britain (even though it used to be around one and a half furlongs longer).
The decision to shorten the race slightly was done to move the start line away from the grandstands in order to help prevent false starts and make the first jump safer as jockeys and horses would reach it slower.
On Saturday, I Am Maximus heads the maximum field of 34 declared runners as he attempts to emulate Red Rum in Randox Grand National.
No horse since Ginger McCain’s Aintree legend has won the world’s most famous steeplechase, lost the title and then regained it. Red Rum won in 1973 and 1974 and was second in 1975 and 1976 before bringing the house down with a third victory in 1977.
Willie Mullins’ I Am Maximus – who will be sporting cheekpieces for just the second time, the first being back in December 2022 – won two years ago in the hands of Paul Townend and found only stablemate Nick Rockett too good in 2025 when aiming to be the first dual winner since Tiger Roll.
As well as the past two winners, Mullins also runs Grangeclare West, who was third last year and will actually be the ride of Patrick Mullins, successful aboard Nick Rockett for his father last year but now overlooked in favour of the Bobbyjo Chase winner. Tom Bellamy picks up a dream spare ride on the defending champion.
