Meydan Racecourse stages its first ever Ladies’ Night on Friday 3 February, when the red carpet will be rolled out for an evening of fun, fashion and fast and furious horse racing action. The event, the first of three to be staged at Meydan Racecourse in 2023, is a collaboration between Dubai Racing Club and Spanish-based company Hats and Horses, which has plenty of experience in rolling out similar events across Europe and in America.
The company was founded in 2017 by Ariadna Vilalta, a former wedding planner. “We went to Ascot and because they are always nagging about wanting more publicity here, we decided to try and create something similar with Harness Racing on the island of Menorca,” she explains. “We started in 2018 and it was a great success with more than 1000 people attending the first event.
It’s really caught on so now we are about to host our sixth event in Menorca, and we’ve also expanded to run Ladies’ Days in Majorca, Barcelona, Madrid and even Maryland in the USA. Hats and Horses will run three events at Meydan Racecourse, starting with the track’s first ever Ladies’ Night on Friday 3 February, followed by Ladies’ Day on Super Saturday, 4 March and culminating in the prestigious Dubai World Cup Style Stakes on 25 March.
“The first two will be build-up events to give people time to get their outfits for the big Dubai World Cup Style Stakes when there will be a fashion show and some amazing prizes,” explains Vilalta. “It’s an excuse to meet new people in a networking environment. We will have an expert on hand to explain how the racing works, as well as a professional photographer who has worked for fashion magazines.
We’ve invited some designers to explain about their outfits and discuss collaborations, so people can start working on their Dubai World Cup look.” Vilalta stresses that there is no formal dress code for Friday’s event. “We want people to dress elegantly,” she says. “The final aim is to have everyone in hats, but for the first event we want everyone to feel themselves and wear a fascinator if they feel like it.
People can be a little shy about wearing hats but it can be empowering. Those attending Friday’s event can expect a luxury experience, with fivestar food and drink including caviar canapes and sushi among a selection of finger foods, bubbles and other beverages. Tickets start at Dh255 for soft beverages or Dh315 for the house beverage package. For more information and bookings, go to www.dubairacingclub.com
