Preparations are well under way for the most glamorous time of the year in Cheshire - the racing season

Preparations are well under way for the most glamorous time of the year in Cheshire - the racing season

The racing season accounts for 25% of total annual spring fashion sales at McArthurGlen’s Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet sponsor of Chester Races this year.

The centre is expecting 1.5 million fashion-conscious shoppers over the next eight weeks, ahead of the first race in early May

Mark Schofield, Centre Manager at McArthurGlen’s Cheshire Oaks, said: “This is the first year we’re sponsoring Chester Races, with the racing season one of the biggest occasion fashion buying periods of the year"

"Many shoppers buy a new outfit each year whereas others re-invent an existing outfit with accessories, spending on average anything between �200 and �1,000.”

Style Consultant, Gabbie Cowley, said: ““With the racing season fast on the approach, women are now starting to think about their race day look and statement head piece. This week traditionally marks the start of racing shopping - we’re expecting a lot of our shoppers to be hunting out stacked heels and dresses in the season’s key colour palette of sugar almond sorbet shades, orange hues and flushes of floral.”

Chester Racecourse hosts fifteen race fixtures throughout the summer between May and September, starting with the prestigious May Festival on Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th and Friday 11th May which brings over 60,000 racegoers to the city across the three days.

This year's Grand National day at Aintree will be on Saturday 14th April but the most extravagant raceday fashions will be seen on the Friday on Ladies' Day

McArthurGlen’s Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, please visit: www.cheshireoaksdesigneroutlet.com or call: 0151 348 5600www.facebook.com/cheshireoaks

Chester Races fixtureswww.chester-races.co.uk/racing/fixtures-chester

Grand National Ladies' Day at Aintreewww.aintree.co.uk/pages/ladies-day-grand-national