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Snow falls on Cheltenham Racecourse ahead of Festival day two

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Leigh Boobyer and Claire Cavanagh

BBC News

Snow falls on Cheltenham Festival

Thousands of racegoers dressed in their best outfits for the renamed “Style Wednesday” on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

The event saw early snow fall on the course at a visit from the Queen.

PA Media The Queen watching the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase in the royal box standing in front of a glass barrier flanked by two other women. She's wearing a beige hat trimmed with fur, a brown coat and carrying a matching handbag. PA Media

Queen Camilla watching the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase

Royal cousins Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall also watched the action on day two.

Reuters Princess Beatrice in a burgundy coat and matching hat arrives at the Cheltenham Festival course in Gloucestershire with Zara Tindall wearing a dark grey pinstripe coat and dark red hat. They're chatting to each other as they walk in to the ground. Reuters

Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall arrive at the course in Gloucestershire

No disruption from the snow

The horses were exercised during a light covering of snow over parts of Gloucestershire first thing on Wednesday morning.

But by 8:30 GMT it had turned to sleet with race officials happy that the track would be ready for the action from lunchtime.

PA Media Several jockeys are exercising their horses on a snow covered track at the Cheltenham Festival on the second day of the four day event. They are trotting between some white barriers.PA Media

Horses exercising in the snow earlier on Wednesday morning before day two of Cheltenham Festival

‘Style Wednesday’

Racegoers turned up in their thousands again with some colourful outfits and hats.

The second day of the festival used to be called Ladies Day, but was renamed last year “Style Wednesday”.

PA Media A large group of men wearing purple checked blazers and dark purple dickie bows and hats arrive at the course, one carrying a newspaper and one raising his hat in the air. PA Media

A group of racegoers dressed in purple suits and hats arrive at the course

PA Media A group of three women dressed in unique hats and bright red headwear at the Cheltenham Festival in front of greenery in the background.PA Media

Style Wednesday brought some incredible outfits and hats to the festival

There was more drama, with Marine Nationale beating the favourite Jonbon in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

PA Media Jockey Sean Flanagan, dressed in yellow silks with a navy stripe across it rides his horse Marine Nationale to victory in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. He's celebrating his victory with his arm in the air surrounded by racing fans cheering him on. PA Media

Sean Flanagan on his horse Marine Nationale after winning the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase

Focus on safety

Amid criticism from animal rights protestors, horse racing officials said they had invested £56m over 25 years to make the sport safer.

At Cheltenham, the colour of the jumps has changed from orange to white so horses noticed the contrast between the track and the hurdles more easily.

The traditional brush jumps have also being replaced with padded ones.

According the charity Animal Aid a total of 76 horses have been killed as a result of racing at the festival since 2000.

PA Media Runners and riders in the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase go over the fences on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.PA Media

Action from the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase



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