Black is back as the ladies battle their racing colours

BLACK is definitely back with a bang as Ladies Day at Tramore Races yesterday clearly showed.

The sun-kissed first day of the four-day festival spurred countless ladies to haul out their glad rags and do battle for the title of Best Dressed Lady and the 1,000 first prize.

Beautiful Aileen Barron was the judges’ first choice and scooped a 1,000 voucher from boutique sponsors, Sea Saw, in Waterford, for her endeavours.

“I bought this in BT in Cork,” she said. “It’s the first time ever that I’ve entered a best dressed lady competition and I’m completely over the moon.

“I’m a keen race-goer and had a place win in the third race, which now turned out to be the final race.”

Aileen, from Butlerstown in Waterford, also wore red and beige checked shoes. Her mother picked up the feathers for her.

“This voucher couldn’t have come at a better time. My cousin is getting married in a fortnight and I needed something to wear for that. I’m dying to have a gander.”

Former Miss Waterford, Sonya Magill, loves to dress to impress. And she too was turning heads as punters turned off racing after a spate of long shot winners in the first few races. Her simple, silky black dress with elaborate beading around the front was classic, simple and elegant.

“It’s one of my favourites, a Karen Millen. I bought it in Dublin. I hired the hat from Ascot, our local hat hire company,” she said.

Primary teachers, Paula Wegner and Katherine Cahill, also from Waterford city, were making the very most of their last few days of holidays. The horses hadn’t a hope of getting even a look in as the pair had necks craning everywhere.

Paula bought her pink and purple, figure-hugging dress in Monsoon for a recent wedding. Her wide-brimmed lilac hat was bought on the same spree in the very same shop. “I’m not doing too well with the horses. The only way I’ll make money today is if I win this competition,” confessed Paula.

Katherine Cahill was delighted to boast she got her entire ensemble for less than 100. She wore a turquoise sun dress. “I bought this dress in a sale last year and it cost me £40. I got these silver, strappy sandals in a sale too. They cost me 20. And I rented this hat and I borrowed the bag. Overall, I’m dressed head-to-toe for 100.”

It was also a special day for 18-year-old Waterford lady, Laura Power. She got her Leaving Cert results on Wednesday and she and her mum, Mairead, decided to celebrate by bidding for Best Dressed Lady.

The beautiful young woman beat all the odds to excel in her exams. She was hospitalised in September and had a major kidney operation. She didn’t get back to school until January and sat her mocks weeks later. Mairead said it was a tremendous feat given that Laura couldn’t sit through a full day of school for ages after surgery.

“I thought it was a great way to celebrate my 410 points,” Laura explained. “I’m hoping for primary teaching. I got this dress for a dinner dance last year.”

Laura’s figure-hugging number was complemented by a cerise-coloured, wide brimmed hat and a simple dusky pink rosette on her waist. Her mum, Mairead, wore a biscuit-coloured ensemble with matching hat.