Cheltenham will see more women racegoers at the course tomorrow than any other day in history after an astronomical surge in female fans ahead of Ladies Day returning for the first time in seven years

There will be more women racegoers at Cheltenham tomorrow than any other day in history as the first female to win the Grand National embraces a "new challenge".

The extraordinary surge in female fans has delighted Festival bosses. Ladies Day returns to the meeting tomorrow for the first time in seven years. Latest figures show there has been a significant increase in ticket sales to women. 33% of ticket purchasers for Ladies Day are female, compared with 25% in 2025.

This highlights the impact of a campaign focused specifically on introducing more women to the Festival experience led by trailblazing jockey Rachael Blackmore.

As part of her role as “Head of Ladies Day”, Blackmore spent time with other female racegoers back at Cheltenham’s November Meeting to find out what the experience is like on the other side of the rails. Blackmore, 36, retired from the saddle in May last year and this will be her first Cheltenham Festival as a spectator.

She said: “To see numbers go from 25% to 33% is fantastic and hopefully it’s something that will continue to grow. It’s great to see more women deciding to come along to Ladies Day this year.

"The build up to this year’s event has been very different for me but I have loved the new challenge that this role has given me. Cheltenham has been a huge part of my life, some of my best memories are here and I am proud to have been able to work with the racecourse to share that magic with the public.

“Whether someone follows racing closely or has never been before, it’s such a brilliant day out and I believe it has so much to offer to everyone. “ Kathleen Rigby, 52, from Nottingham said: "This is brilliant news. I'm coming tomorrow and it will be great to have so many other women here. I go racing quite a lot and there are definitely more female fans around these days."

Guy Lavender, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “We wanted to make Ladies Day an occasion that felt welcoming and exciting for everyone, and the response we’ve seen has been incredibly encouraging. To see female ticket purchasers increase from 25% last year to 33% this year shows that the campaign is already making a real difference.

“Having Rachael at the heart of it has been fantastic. Her willingness to get out into the community, meet people and talk about The Festival has helped bring the Cheltenham experience to new audiences.”

The campaign celebrated the return of Ladies Day to the Cheltenham Festival for the first time since 2019. Cheltenham Racecourse said it hoped the continued growth in female racegoers will help ensure The Festival remains one of the most inclusive and exciting events in the sporting calendar.