When people think about Ascot, they often picture Royal Ascot, enormous hats and very strict dress codes. Ascot actually hosts several race days throughout the year, each with its own atmosphere.
For our latest Ascot race day, we chose the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and Concert. As we were travelling all the way from South Wales, we wanted more than just a few hours of horse racing and this particular event ticked all the boxes. Alongside six races and the unique team based Shergar Cup format, there was also an evening concert featuring Boyzlife, Marvin Humes, B*Witched and Blue.
Neither of us would claim to be horse racing experts. In fact, our betting strategy mainly involved choosing horses with names we liked and hoping for the best. Somehow, that approach still managed to win us almost £100.
From staying overnight in Bracknell and planning our race day outfits to enjoying a picnic, placing bets and dancing the evening away, here’s a look at our day at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and Concert at Ascot Racecourse.
Staying in Bracknell Before Ascot
As we were travelling from South Wales, we decided to head up the day before and stay at the Premier Inn Bracknell Central rather than attempt the drive on race day morning. If you’re travelling from further away, I’d definitely consider doing the same. Bracknell is only around 4 miles from Ascot Racecourse, so we were roughly 10 minutes away, which made the whole day feel much more relaxed.
We arrived the evening before, enjoyed dinner at Tang’s, an Asian buffet restaurant in the town centre, and didn’t have to think about another thing until the next morning. Staying overnight meant race day itself felt much more relaxed. Instead of rushing out of the house early, we could go downstairs for a cooked breakfast, get ready at our own pace and actually enjoy the build up to the day.
Being based in the town centre was useful for another reason too. I’d booked a 9am appointment at Marc Antoni Hair Salon before heading to Ascot. The stylist mentioned they regularly get people coming in before race events, so it’s probably worth booking ahead if you’re planning something similar. After my appointment, I headed back to the hotel, finished my makeup, got dressed and by midday we were on our way to Ascot.
What I Wore to Ascot
One of my favourite parts of any Ascot race day is putting an outfit together.
I knew I wanted something that felt summery, elegant and comfortable enough to wear all day. Race days are long and there is nothing worse than spending the entire afternoon wishing you’d worn different shoes or chosen a different bag.
I eventually settled on a blue dress from Club L London. The colour was what sold it to me straight away. It isn’t quite baby blue and it isn’t icy blue either. It’s a really soft powder blue that felt perfect for a summer race day.
I also loved how floaty it felt. There was plenty of movement in the skirt and it felt dressed up enough for Ascot without being overly formal.
As I started putting the outfit together, I realised quite a few of the accessories had already had a very important outing before Ascot. My shoes were actually my wedding shoes.
They’re low slingback heels covered in sparkling pearl and jewel detailing. They felt perfect for a wedding day and just as perfect for the races. The biggest selling point, though, is that I already knew they were comfortable. They survived an entire wedding day from morning until night, so I had complete confidence in them for a full day at Ascot.
My bag was another familiar accessory. I carried the same pearl cloud bag I used on my wedding day. It’s covered in pearl detailing and feels like one of those timeless accessories that never really dates.
I think that’s why it worked so well with the dress. The soft pearl tones, silver jewellery and powder blue colour all complemented each other perfectly.
One of the reasons I love the bag so much is that it somehow manages to fit everything. It looks fairly small, but the soft shape means you can get far more inside than you’d expect. On my wedding day I carried it as a clutch, but for Ascot I attached the chain strap and wore it over my shoulder instead.
By the time I’d packed everything for the day, it was starting to resemble a Mary Poppins bag. Don’t worry, you’ll get to see exactly what I managed to fit inside it soon enough.
For jewellery, I kept things fairly simple. I wore a delicate silver pendant necklace alongside my Pandora earrings and charm bracelet. They’re all quite understated pieces, but really pretty, which made them perfect for this outfit. The dress already made enough of a statement on its own, so I didn’t feel like it needed anything overly fussy.
Then there was the fascinator.
I am definitely not a hat person.
In fact, the fascinator was probably the part of the outfit I worried about most because I was convinced I was going to put it on and look ridiculous.
I found a powder blue fascinator from JoyJoysHats on Etsy that happened to be an almost perfect match for the dress. It had a round base, a large mesh bow and a sculpted swirl of stiff mesh that curved up into the air.
Looking at the Etsy listing, it looked as though it would sit much higher on my head than it actually did, which was what worried me most. Thankfully, once it arrived and I tried it on, I realised I’d been worrying over nothing.
I think a lot of people feel nervous about fascinators if they don’t normally wear them, but once you’re at Ascot you quickly realise, you’re surrounded by incredible hats, headpieces and fascinators anyway.
I wore it throughout the racing before taking it off when we headed over to the concert.
It felt a little bit like the race day equivalent of letting your hair down.
My Ascot Outfit
| Item | Brand | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Parina Powder Blue Strappy Volume Hem Midi Dress | Club L London | £98 |
| Light Blue Feather Fascinator | JoyJoysHats Etsy | £29 |
| Pearl Cloud Clutch Bag | Accessorize | £60 |
| White Forever Comfort Point Toe Vinyl Jewel Detail Sling Back Heels | Next | £44 |
| Silver Necklace with White Zirconia Pendant | Thomas Sabo | £65 |
| Pandora Earrings | Pandora | Gift |
| Pandora Charm Bracelet | Pandora | Gift |
What My Husband Wore to Ascot
I spent quite a lot of time before Ascot winding my husband up about the dress code.
I’d read all the guidance beforehand and was convinced somebody was going to stop him at the gate because he was wearing jeans.
Every few hours I’d casually remind him.
“You know they won’t let you in wearing those.”
“You know you’re going to regret not listening to me.”
“You know they’re going to turn you around at the entrance.”
The thing is, I’m very much a planner. If we’re going somewhere new, I’ll check the dress code, parking, timings, weather forecast and anything else I think might be helpful.
Ola is the complete opposite.
His approach is usually more along the lines of turning up and seeing what happens.
Because I was so convinced his jeans were going to cause problems, I even suggested bringing a spare pair of trousers just in case we needed to rush back to the hotel and change. He didn’t listen to that suggestion either.
And I was absolutely not returning to Bracknell and then trying to find somewhere selling emergency race day trousers because somebody had decided the dress code was only a rough guideline.
Unfortunately for me, absolutely none of that happened.
He walked straight through without a single comment from anyone and spent the rest of the day feeling very smug.
To be fair, once we were inside I realised Ascot wasn’t quite as strict as I’d imagined. While plenty of people were dressed up, I also spotted trainers and much more relaxed outfits than I was expecting.
I suspect a lot of that comes down to the race day itself. The last time I visited Ascot, I remember staff walking around in top hats and tails, although that may well have been because it was Royal Ascot or because they were working around one of the more exclusive areas.
The jeans probably helped because they weren’t traditional blue denim. They were a soft stone colour with a relaxed fit, which felt much smarter and more summery than your standard pair of jeans.
There had also been a brief discussion about trainers and a baseball cap before we left the hotel.
That got a very firm no from me.
The jeans were one thing.
The baseball cap was never making it into Ascot.
In the end, he wore the stone jeans with a crisp white shirt, shiny black lace up shoes, a black Calvin Klein belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, an Emporio Armani watch and Tommy Hilfiger necklace and bracelet.
The watch, belt and sunglasses were gifts from me and, although I still maintain I was right to question the jeans, I do think the black accessories pulled everything together. The shoes especially made the outfit and gave it a much smarter feel.
I have to admit, he looked very handsome.
The only downside?
By the end of the day the shoes were pinching his feet.
I’d spent most of the afternoon worrying about my own fascinator, hair and shoes, only to discover his shoes were causing just as much trouble. At one point we were both sitting on our blanket, shoes off giving our feet a rest before the concert started.
It made me laugh because it’s normally the women you see complaining about uncomfortable shoes at the races.
My Husband’s Ascot Outfit
| Item | Brand |
| Stone Straight Fit Jeans | Celebre at Footasylum |
| White Shirt | Firetrap |
| Sunglasses | Ray-Ban |
| Watch | Emporio Armani |
| Necklace | Tommy Hilfiger |
| Bracelet | Tommy Hilfiger |
| Belt | Calvin Klein |
| Black Lace Up Shoes | Dyfed Menswear |
What’s In My Ascot Bag
By the time I’d packed my bag for Ascot, it was starting to resemble something Mary Poppins would carry around. Just without the lampshade.
Race days are much longer than you might expect. We left the hotel around midday and weren’t due back until after the racing and concert had finished, so everything needed to earn its place inside my bag. That said, if there’s a miniature version of something available, chances are I’m buying it.
The first things that went in were the obvious essentials. I packed Nivea SPF 50 because I burn ridiculously easily and knew we’d be spending most of the day outside. Alongside that were my sunglasses and a pink handheld fan, which ended up being one of the best things I brought with me all day.
We’ve had several heatwaves this summer and that little fan has already paid for itself many times over. Once the crowds built up around the racecourse, it became an absolute lifesaver. If I was heading to another summer race day tomorrow, it would be one of the first things I’d pack.
I also packed a mini packet of 12 Wet Ones cucumber hand wipes and a travel size Mitchum deodorant. Neither are particularly glamorous, but both came in useful. Ascot is one of those days where you’re constantly doing something, and there can be a lot of hustle and bustle, so having a few small refreshers in your bag makes a difference. The deodorant was also miniature, which automatically made me love it. I genuinely have a soft spot for tiny versions of normal products.
For makeup touch ups, I packed my Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder and Pillow Talk lipstick. Both already had a permanent place in my occasion bag. The sizes are perfect for a small clutch and Pillow Talk is one of those shades that just seems to go with everything.
Because I’d had my hair curled that morning, I packed a comb rather than a brush. A brush would have turned my curls into a frizzy mess by mid afternoon, whereas a comb was enough to tidy everything up without ruining them.
I also brought a travel size Moschino perfume, a mini L’Occitane hand cream and a tiny tin of Vaseline Vanilla Daydream Lip Therapy. The Vaseline tin deserves a special mention because it might be one of the cutest things I own.
Then there were the practical bits.
I packed my gold pen with the giant diamond on top. This wasn’t just for decoration, though. I wanted something for marking our race card, making notes and keeping track of our bets during the day. If I’m going to scribble notes about horses, I may as well do it with a sparkly pen.
My bag also contained paracetamol, ibuprofen and Gaviscon. As you get older, you stop judging people for carrying random medication and start becoming that person yourself. I had a slightly sore foot on race day morning, knew alcohol would be involved at some point and wanted to be prepared for anything.
I also packed mint Tic Tacs because nobody wants wine breath after a full day out.
Finally, I threw in my trusty DUO eyelash glue. I’ve worn false lashes for years and DUO is still the best glue I’ve found. Hopefully you never need it, but if an eyelash decides to start lifting halfway through the day, you’ll be very grateful it’s there.
Looking back, there was probably enough packed into that little pearl cloud bag to survive an entire week away.
Arriving at Ascot
We arrived at Ascot around midday and I’m really glad we allowed plenty of time before the first race.
The very first thing I did was buy the official race card programme. That’s definitely the planner in me. I like to know what’s happening, where everything is and roughly what my day is going to look like before things get busy.
Before the racing started, we spent some time getting our bearings and working out where everything was. We found the bars we wanted, located the toilets, worked out where the Parade Ring was and generally familiarised ourselves with the layout.
If it’s your first visit, I’d definitely recommend arriving early enough to do the same. Once the racing starts and the crowds build, you’ll be glad you already know where you’re going.
One thing worth knowing if you’re attending the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup is that alcohol isn’t permitted through the gates. I’d originally pictured bringing a bottle of rosé wine to enjoy with our picnic, as that’s something often allowed at other race days, but that wasn’t the case for this event.
Before settling down with our picnic, we stopped to meet one of Ascot’s retired racehorses. He looked absolutely beautiful and it felt like the perfect way to start the day before the crowds, betting slips and racing excitement took over.
Our Ascot Picnic
One of the things I was most excited about for the day was our picnic.
Earlier in the Summer I’d bought a picnic basket from the Coastal Retreat range at Home Bargains and had been looking for an excuse to use it ever since. Unlike a traditional rectangular picnic basket, this one has more of a barrel shape, which I think makes it feel a little more special. It came complete with plates, bowls, cups and cutlery tucked inside and looked far more expensive than it actually was.
Poor Ola carried it around all day and, to be fair, looked like he’d stepped straight out of a Ralph Lauren advert. Or somebody wandering around The Hamptons with a perfectly coordinated picnic basket.
To sit on, we brought a cream throw from home. I can’t even remember where it came from because we’ve had it for years, but it did exactly what we needed it to do. The main purpose wasn’t comfort, it was protection. I had absolutely no intention of risking grass stains before the first race had even started.
My original vision for the picnic had been very different. I’d imagined one of those beautiful antipasti style spreads with olives, fresh bread, dipping oils and cured meats. The sort of picnic that looks lovely in photographs and makes you feel like you have your life together.
In reality, my husband is Muslim and doesn’t eat pork, which rules out most traditional charcuterie boards straight away. It was a lovely idea, just not a particularly practical one for us as a couple.
While I was having my hair done that morning, Ola popped into Marks & Spencer and picked up our picnic lunch. I had a coronation chicken sandwich on oatmeal bread and it was absolutely delicious. However, coronation chicken and a nice outfit is always a risky combination. For the first few bites, I was very aware that one wrong move could leave me with a bright yellow stain down the front of my dress. Suddenly those grass stains didn’t seem quite so threatening.
Ola bought himself two completely different sandwiches, although they disappeared so quickly that I never actually found out what they were. Knowing him, they were probably something sensible and healthy involving chicken and avocado.
He also bought two pots of boiled eggs.
This would normally be fine, except he’d already eaten eggs at breakfast that morning.
The man genuinely eats eggs every day and is completely obsessed with protein. I always joke that one morning he’s going to wake up clucking like a chicken.
Alongside the sandwiches, we packed a few extra treats including Marks & Spencer Caramel Millionaire Mini Bites, a bag of Properchips Prawn Cocktail Lentil Chips and some refreshing drinks. My drink choices that day seemed to follow a very specific theme. If it was fruity, I wanted it.
We had Sparkling Sicilian Lemon, a rhubarb drink blended with sparkling spring water and apple juice, bottled water and, later in the day, I seemed to continue the trend with summer fruits vodka drinks once the racing got underway.
Between the cooked breakfast at the hotel and our picnic lunch, neither of us felt particularly hungry for most of the afternoon, which was probably a good thing considering how long some of the queues became later in the day.
While we ate, we opened the race card programme and started working our way through the six races, which is where our very questionable betting strategy began…
The Racing Begins
With our picnic finished and race cards in hand, it was time to try our luck.
The official programme was actually really useful because it explained the format of the Shergar Cup, including the four teams, six races and twelve jockeys taking part throughout the day. It also gave us something to refer back to between races as we attempted to decide where our money should go.
Now, if you’re a serious racing fan, this is probably the point where you’d start looking at previous form, recent results, ground conditions, jockey records and all sorts of statistics that were completely lost on us.
We decided very early on that we weren’t going to pretend we knew what we were doing.
Our strategy was much simpler.
- Did we like the name?
- Did it stand out for some reason?
- Did it feel like a sign?
If the answer was yes, that horse made the shortlist.
Armed with the race card and my oversized diamond pen, we decided to place a £10 bet on each race. We weren’t there to gamble seriously or make money. We just thought it would be more fun to have something to cheer for as the races unfolded.
For the first race, I chose Fandom. At that point I’d already been relying heavily on my handheld fan, so I decided that was clearly a sign. We backed it each way and surprisingly ended up winning a little bit of money when it came third.
I was convinced I’d cracked the secret to horse racing.
Unfortunately, our luck didn’t continue throughout the afternoon. Some of the horses we chose didn’t place at all and I was genuinely surprised to see one of the strong favourites, with very short odds, come in last. That completely ruined any belief I had that the experts necessarily knew what they were talking about.
Between races, we wandered over to the Parade Ring to watch the horses before they headed out onto the course. I always enjoy this part because you get to see them up close and start inventing little stories about their personalities. Some looked calm and confident. Others looked much more nervous and agitated.
Whether any of that actually tells you anything useful when it comes to horse racing is another matter entirely, but it certainly made us feel like we were conducting important research.
By this point, we’d spent several hours watching the racing and trying to understand how everything worked. Ola became convinced that Ascot were secretly reusing the same horses and simply giving them different names and numbers for each race.
I laughed at him at first, but he did have one piece of evidence.
The jockeys.
Because the Shergar Cup is a team competition, the same jockeys compete throughout the day, so you naturally keep seeing the same faces appearing in different races. Once he’d noticed that, his theory didn’t seem quite so ridiculous.
The horses were obviously different, but I could see how somebody completely new to racing might wonder why the same jockeys kept reappearing while the horse names constantly changed.
The crowds were noticeably busier by this point too. I’ve been to Ascot before, and this was definitely the busiest I’ve ever seen it. The betting stands were packed, the bar queues were long and there always seemed to be a queue for the toilets. Quite a few people appeared to be hiding indoors whenever they could in search of shade or air conditioning.
This is also where my handheld fan officially became the MVP of the day.
Despite the queues, we managed to get a bet on every race, although sometimes it felt like you had to choose between placing a bet and buying a drink before the next race started.
Our biggest win came right at the end of the day. For the final race, Ola chose a horse called Crown Board. There was no great racing insight behind the decision. He simply liked the name and said he could imagine it getting crowned winner.
Remarkably, that turned out to be a much better strategy than many of the others we’d tried throughout the afternoon because, between Fandom in the first race and Crown Board in the last, we ended up winning almost £100.
The Concert
One of the things I enjoyed most about the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup was how the whole atmosphere changed once the racing finished.
For most of the day, people had been studying race cards, watching horses in the Parade Ring and queuing at betting stands. By the evening, the racecourse felt completely different. Everyone seemed to migrate over to the concert area and suddenly it felt less like a day at the races and more like a summer music festival.
The fascinators were coming off, the drinks were getting stronger and everybody seemed ready for the second half of the day.
One of the reasons we chose the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup in the first place was because it combined horse racing with a live concert afterwards. It made the day feel like much more than a typical trip to the races.
By this point, I’d fully committed to my fruity drink theme for the day. The rosé wine hadn’t impressed me, so I’d long since moved on to summer fruits vodka drinks instead.
Ola, meanwhile, remained loyal to his Peroni.
Boyzlife were first up and hearing songs like Picture of You, Words and Flying Without Wings instantly transported me back to the 90s. One of the nicest moments of their set was when they dedicated No Matter What to Stephen Gately and explained it had been his favourite song. As somebody who grew up with Boyzone and Westlife, that felt really nostalgic.
Marvin Humes completely changed the atmosphere with his DJ set. Boyzlife had everyone singing along, but Marvin got everyone dancing.
The highlight for me was Show Me Love by Robin S. It’s one of my all time favourite songs and one we actually played at our wedding, so hearing it blasting across Ascot Racecourse while everyone danced around with drinks in hand was a bit of a moment.
He finished with Mr Brightside by The Killers, which is pretty much guaranteed to get a crowd going. Looking around, everyone seemed completely invested in the moment.
I also really enjoyed B*Witched. Oddly enough, it wasn’t necessarily their biggest hits that stood out most to me. As an Irish band, I loved that they leaned into their roots with covers of Galway Girl and Breathless.
Having said that, I’ve always had a soft spot for Jessie Hold On for reasons I can’t fully explain.
By the time Blue took to the stage, everyone seemed to be in a brilliant mood. They closed the evening with all the songs you’d hope for, including All Rise, If You Come Back, One Love and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word. The atmosphere was fantastic and by that point we were happily singing along with everyone else.
One Last Surprise
As Blue reached the end of their set, blue confetti cannons fired across the crowd and streams of blue paper drifted down onto the grass.
We both found ourselves looking down to watch it settle and, having only recently danced to Show Me Love by Robin S, I think weddings were already on my mind. That’s when we realised something neither of us had really noticed throughout the day.
We were both wearing our wedding shoes.
The funny thing is that we’d obviously known what shoes we’d put on that morning. The realisation wasn’t about the shoes themselves. It was that, once we’d noticed that particular connection, we started spotting lots of others.
I had my wedding shoes, wedding bag, wedding jewellery, my wedding touch up makeup and even the oversized diamond pen I’d originally bought for our wedding to sign the register. Ola had his wedding shoes, along with the watch, belt and sunglasses I’d given him as wedding gifts.
None of it had been planned.
We hadn’t chosen those items because they were linked to our wedding. We chose them because they were things we already loved, used regularly and knew we could rely on. That’s what made the moment feel so special.
Yet somehow, standing there surrounded by blue confetti at the end of a concert, we realised how many little pieces of our wedding day had quietly become part of our everyday lives.
One Thing We Didn’t Expect
The only thing that really caught us out during the day was how quickly everything shut down once the concert finished.
Blue wrapped up promptly at 8pm and we’d already booked our Uber for 9pm. In our heads, that gave us loads of time. We thought we’d pack everything away, make one final trip to the toilets, grab a drink and definitely pick up some food before making our way over to the pick up point.
What we hadn’t realised was that, while we’d been busy dancing and singing along, all of the drinks and catering vans around the concert area had quietly shut up shop. By the time Blue finished, the shutters were already down and staff were preparing to close for the night.
Within minutes, everyone seemed to be heading towards the exits. I’ve never seen so many people move so quickly. There was no leisurely post concert wander, no final drink and definitely no trip to grab food. By about ten past eight, we found ourselves leaving alongside pretty much everybody else.
Coming from South Wales, it felt very different to a night out in Cardiff. We’re used to the idea that there’s always somewhere open afterwards. Whether it’s Chippy Lane, a late night takeaway or somewhere for one final drink, the evening doesn’t usually end the moment the main event finishes.
Ascot operates differently.
When it closes, it closes.
To be fair, we’d had a brilliant day and neither of us left disappointed. Between the racing, the picnic, the concert and our unexpected winnings, we’d definitely got our money’s worth.
If I had one practical tip for anybody planning an Ascot race day, it would be this: don’t leave food or drinks until after the concert. If it’s important to you, make sure you’ve sorted it earlier in the evening.
When I asked Ola what he thought of his first trip to the races, his answer was very straightforward.
“It was brilliant. I loved it. But they close too early.”
As a Nigerian, where a party at 8pm can feel like it’s only just getting started, I think he genuinely expected a few more hours of celebrating.
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