THE STYLE STAKES were high at the Kilbeggan Races last Saturday, 9 August, as ladies from across the region turned out in a range of haute couture and designer labels for Littlewoods Ladies Day. The race meeting favourite at Kilbeggan offered female spectators the chance to not only enjoy a fun day out and heart stopping spectacle of racing over jumps, but also the opportunity to glam up!
THE ROSE WHO CAUGHT THE JUDGES EYE!
This year’s Ladies Day competition was judged by well-known bi-lingual TV Presenter Síle Seoige. The former RTÉ and TG4 television presenter kept a close eye on the fashion stakes as the racing action took place on the race track. With a great turnout, no doubt Síle’s job was not an easy one, but it was this year’s Westmeath Rose, Katie Murphy from Brookfield, Mullingar, who impressed the most on the day, winning not just the title of ‘Best Dressed Lady’ but also a €1,500 shopping spree from Littlewoods Ireland. Speaking to Topic after her success, Katie Murphy said she was “thrilled” and “surprised” to win the coveted prize on the day. “I am feeling really lucky. I think I should go and do the lotto after my luck,” she remarked in disbelief. Katie says she has her father to thank for her presence at the race meeting that night. “My family and I went to the races to celebrate my father’s birthday. We had a great time and it proved to be a very successful night for my family and I,” she revealed, adding that her sister Sarah and a family friend, Rachel Coyne, who were in her company on the night, were also commended for their style, each taking home one of ten runner-up up prizes of a Littlewoods Ireland voucher to the value of €100. “I really didn’t expect it at all. We were there to celebrate my father’s birthday and then the three of us were invited to attend a champagne reception at the tent. There was a lot of high street fashion there and I think the adjudicators were looking at how the ladies put the outfits together,” recalled Katie.
THE OUTFIT
Whilst in the tent, Síle got the chance to take a better look at the selection, and it was Katie’s blush pink skirt from Monsoon, ivory blouse from Topshop, cream coat from Almost Famous, Mullingar, and mint green saucer hat designed by Derek Montgomery of Montgomery Designs, Mullingar, that caught her eye. In fact, Katie’s saucer hat was not the only Derek Montgomery creation to catch the judge’s eye, Katie revealed that two more ladies wearing a headpiece by the local milliner were picked amongst the top ten prize winners.
AN EYE FOR STYLE
Katie told Topic that she only recently got a taste for Best Dressed competitions at the Galway Races last month but it is clear that this rose has an eye for style, as she was shortlisted as one of the top 30 best dressed ladies at Ladies Day at Ireland’s biggest racing event. And while the current Westmeath Rose is a dab hand at dealing with people and media, attending events, participating in the Rose of Tralee regionals in Portlaoise over the June Bank Holiday weekend, and carrying out rose duties, she insists that she was still taken aback by the whole experience and the number of cameras taking her picture. “I don’t think I will ever get used to all the cameras. My face was a little sore after smiling for all the photos,” she laughed, as she recalled the surreal experience at Kilbeggan.
