Do you know, it’s great being a girl. At least, today it is. It’s boiling hot at Epsom, the press room is steaming away like a pressure cooker, and I’m smugly cool as a cucumber in a sleeveless dress while my male colleagues are awash with sweat in dark suits and ties. Well, a slightly wilted cucumber, but it’s better than being a baked bean.
It’s Ladies’ Day at Epsom — the fillies have their moment of glory in the Oaks, while the two-legged types are parading like peacocks.
The now-ubiquitous Katie Price is here, although I’m not sure if what she’s wearing would be deemed “ladylike”, precisely. Mind you, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen her in a high-necked dress with sleeves, so maybe that’s a bit unfair.
One woman is wearing a giant white horse’s head as a hat, which I suppose is appropriate, but pretty odd. There’s a lot of flesh on show, turning pinker by the minute in the blazing sun.
Derby day tomorrow is due to be even hotter. The idea of cramming a hat on my head is grim, but at least I won’t have to wear full morning dress like the boys. There’ll be some big dry cleaning bills between now and Royal Ascot as they perspire gently into their woollen coats.
Last year we saw the emergence of a true superstar horse when Sea The Stars bolted home in the Derby, racing’s crowning glory. It would be too much to expect another so good so soon, but whoever wins tomorrow’s race will be a hero — at least for a day.
