ROSS PARRY SYNDICATION: The glamour girls of Yorkshire were dressed to thrill in a a dazzling array of flowers, feathers, ribbon and lace for Ladies' Day at the Ebor Festival on Thursday.

A bumper crowd of almost 30,000 people were enjoying the sunshine at York Racecourse, drawn in by the stunning parade of elaborate hats, brightly-coloured dresses and high heels.

They were treated to a dramatic afternoon of racing, with the favourite Sariska refusing to exit the stalls in the day's biggest race, the Yorkshire Oaks. Her great rival Midday romped home in first place.

But the horses had to take a back seat for most of the day as the ladies strutted their stuff.

Designer Yvette Jelfs, who sells her own handmade hats at Ebor each year, said elaborate hats and very short dresses were the most popular items.

"It's nice to see hats coming back," she said. "Fascinators seem to be running their course, which is good – hats show off more personality I think."