40 shades of green! Cheltenham revellers show off their St Patrick’s Day chic on day three of the festival as they’re joined by glam VIPs Zara Tindall and Charlotte Hawkins

• Racing enthusiasts pulled out all the stops and donned St Patrick’s Day outfits today at Cheltenham 
• Crowds have returned after organisers held 2021’s event behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic
• Revellers were spotted decked out in emerald attire including hats, frocks, and ties, creating a sea of green

Racegoers adopted a distinctly Irish sartorial style today as the third day of the Cheltenham Festival got underway. 

Thursday is always known as St Patrick’s Day at the event, even if it doesn’t fall on March 17. However, this year the two days crossed over, inspiring attendees to pull out all the stops when it came to their fashion choices.

Revellers – including the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, 40, with her husband Mike, 43, as well as TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins – were spotted showing a selection of green garments and accessories, including hats, frocks, and suits.

This year’s festival marks the first time Cheltenham has welcomed punters since 2020, after the pandemic forced organisers to hold last year’s event behind closed doors.

Mike, 43, and Zara Tindall, 40, (pictured) attend the second day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse – with the Queen’s granddaughter opting to wear green

Pictured here with her best friend Dolly Maude (right), an NHS maternity nurse, Zara embraced the day’s theme, matching her green coat with her shoes

The couple were also spotted during day two of the horse racing spectacle, which was attended by Zara’s mother Princess Anne as well

Presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Francesca Cumani were snapped green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, as they arrived for day three of the Cheltenham Festival

The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence attended the festival for day three – following their visit on the previous day

Racing fans rocked up to day three of the Cheltenham Festival today in wearing green outfits in honour of St Patrick’s Day

These racegoers from Grantham donned green hats and ties, as per tradition on the Thursday of the event, whether it falls on March 17 or not

Luck of the Irish? These men embraced the Irish theme with hats and ties – and cosy scarves to keep out the bracing March breeze

Making a statement: These ladies full embraced the St Patrick’s Day theme, showing off emerald dresses

Hat’s the one! This woman added the finishing touch to her green slacks and handbag with a special fascinator in the shape of a leprechaun’s hat

Not just for the women! Some men were just as enthusiastic in choosing their special outfits for the event’s third day  

Chloe Kiely (left) and Colette Keon from County Kildare chose a green frock and blazer to celebrate their roots

Paul Smaylen (pictured, centre), went all-out with his ensemble, choosing to wear a shamrock patterned two-piece suit and matching tie

Not all racing enthusiasts adopted the all-green theme for day three of the event, with some attendees spotted in more sombre garb

These women opted not to embrace the all-green style adopted by many other racegoers, and instead chose to dress in more muted tones

Here come the girls! Four women arrive hand-in-hand at the Gloucestershire grounds as the day’s schedule kicks off

The racing event was accused of being a super-spreader event after it was one of the last major sporting fixtures to be held with spectators in March 2020. 

High profile guests including Andrew Parker Bowles, comedian Lee Mack and footballer Charlie Austin all contracted the virus after attending that year’s spectacle.   

However, this hasn’t stopped racing enthusiasts from descending on the Gloucestershire course this year, with up to 250,000 people expected to attend over the course of four days.

Among them, several famous faces have been spotted, as well as rocker Rod Stewart, 77, and his wife Penny Lancaster, 51 as well as members of the Royal Family.

However, one royal face is missing: the Duchess of Cornwall was forced to cancel her planned visit – the second time she has missed an event this week. 

Richard Hammond posed for photographers as he attended the event with his wife Mindy Hammond, who wore an all-grey old-fashioned-style suit and high heeled boots

The grounds were awash with green, as attendees entered the race course wearing their special St Patrick’s Day outfits and accessories

Many of those who hadn’t opted for more outlandish fancy dress outfits still acknowledged the date by wearing green scarves on top of their everyday garb

Some opted for style over comfort, donning minidresses and sandals, while others wrapped up against the cold in cosy coats

Hats off! Three men give up a thumbs-up as they arrive at the grounds decked out in suits and St Patrick’s Day hats

Against the green: More women show off their outfits, choosing to dress in more traditional colours and prints than some of their fellow racegoers

Camilla has recently recovered from a bout of Covid but has been left with a slight cough and it is understood she is pacing herself after her illness.

The duchess was due to spend the day at the races and present the trophy to the winning owner, jockey and trainer of the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase.

On Tuesday she visited the Irish Cultural Centre in west London with the Prince of Wales ahead of St Patrick’s Day – but she cancelled an appearance at an evening event on Monday, when she was due to meet High Commissioners and Commonwealth Secretariat staff with Charles.

They both attended the Commonwealth Day service earlier in the day.

Clarence House confirmed the duchess would not be attending the Cheltenham Festival but declined to comment further.

Last week, the duchess revealed she has been left with a slight cough in the aftermath of the virus.

When she met a group of record-breaking charity rowers at Clarence House, she told them: ‘Well, it’s taken me three weeks and I still can’t get shot of it. Probably my voice might suddenly go and I might start coughing and spluttering.’

Cheltenham was one of the last major sporting events to be held with spectators before the Covid lockdown in March 2020.

With the country under tight Covid restrictions, last year’s event was held behind closed doors.

And so there has been much anticipation for this year’s four-day festival – the first to be held in front of fans in two years.

The festival, first run in 1860, has grown to become the biggest four days of the jumps season.

Held at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, the event regularly welcomes more than 250,000 people each year.

It features a series of ‘Championship’ races, which decide who are the best horses of the year.

The main races are the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Champion Chase on Wednesday, Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

Despite rising Covid cases in March 2020, and calls to cancel the festival, the event was given to the green-light to go-ahead.

At the time Italy was already in lockdown, while mass gatherings were banned in England three days later.

More than 60,000 fans a day were packed into the stands, bars, toilets and queues for the food vans with little protection apart from some hand sanitiser stations dotted around the racetrack.

Meanwhile, one fan claimed fans were ‘packed in like sardines’ during the four day festival.

While organisers stressed the event followed guidelines at the time, the festival came in for criticism, including from Sir David King, the government’s chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007, who said it was ‘the best possible way to accelerate the spread of the virus’.

A report by MPs later linked 41 Covid deaths to Cheltenham, and a further 37 to the decision to stage Liverpool’s Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid in March 2020.

MPs said that it was not clear if the deaths were a direct result of being at the events themselves, or whether they came from associated activities like travelling or people congregating in pubs.

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