It's usually quite a genteel affair, however Royal Ascot was thrown into disarray yesterday after Ladies' Day descended into a drunken brawl.
Furniture flew through the air and glasses of bubbly were thrown as a group of well-dressed men started to fight on the lawn by the champagne bar on Gold Cup Day.
The drunken racegoers armed themselves with bottles and chair legs – as horrified onlookers fled to avoid getting involved in the fracas.
Police were called in and questioned witnesses as one man was led off by security and two others fled into the crowd.
Sophie Healy, 25, from Windsor, Berkshire, who was near the men before the fight broke out, told The Mirror: “They started pushing and shoving. It was scary.
“We got out of the way and then suddenly a table with a newly bought bottle of champagne went flying.
“Things turned really nasty. One man had a broken chair leg and another had a bottle of champagne.”
In a separate incident, a man was arrested after a racegoer was hit in the face, and a 24-year-old man was arrested for possession of Class B drugs.
There were others who flouted the notorious dresscode at Royal Ascot, which is this year celebrating its 300th anniversary.
Helen Wood, the vice girl connected to footballer Wayne Rooney, attended the festival because it's a "great place to be seen", but she ignored protocol by neglecting to wear a hat.
While other racegoers ignored Ascot's policy on smart dress.
Racing commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan also drew attention to the situation when he said: "Sometimes the grandstands seem over-run by tattoos and bare flesh. It’s disrespectful – not just to the Queen, but to the horses."
Celebrity guests at Ladies’ Day included footballer Michael Owen and newly-knighted entertainer Bruce Forsyth.
Sir Bruce, who had to fight his way through the crowds to get to the racetrack, joked: "I love the crowds. It’s so restful. I come here for a restful day."
