Grand National: Ladies' Day best pictures

Female racegoers during Ladies Day of the Crabbie's Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday April 8, 2016. See PA story RACING Aintree. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Racegoers turned up their best attire for one of those days on the racing calendar that is associated as much with ostentatious outfits and popping champagne corks as equine sporting prowess.

Packed with celebrities and footballers’ wives, Aintree bosses said they would clamp dopwn on any negative media coverage with reports often centring around the revealing outfits of the attendees.

Windy weather once again plagued the event and many photographs showed women caught with their skirts blown up around their waists.

The Grand National at Aintree, Merseyside, officially opened its doors today April 7 2016. Racegoers arrived in their fancy outfits in the adverse weather conditions of high wind and shower. Many of the revelers participated in heavy drinking even in the rain and heavy winds.

In the buildup to the event, John Baker, the north-west regional director of the Jockey Club, which owns Aintree, had threatened to “kick off site” any photographer who was clearly documenting an unflattering image of the female racegoers.

So here we look at the best photos that we could get our hands on from the day, showing racing and racegoers alike.