They call it Champions Day for a reason. Because on a Saturday in mid October at Ascot, with the sky as shimmeringly blue as a jockey’s silk and the autumnal air fragrant with the churn of the turf, everyone here feels like a winner. Even if certain members of the box (this writer in particular) had a less than stellar day at the tote. Turns out you shouldn’t put all your hopes (and most of your pay cheque) on a horse called Gstaad just because you’d quite like to own a chalet there. But hey-ho — nothing a decent slug of Moët & Chandon’s vintage champagne can’t fix, I suppose. Or a delightful miniature steak with some excellent chicken liver parfait, for that matter. Or some large format Rock Angel rosé. Or all three in quick succession, actually.

Guests — including Alex Hendy, Harrison Osterfield, Noah Sapon, Sabrina Percy, Eleanor Wellesley, Tatiana Mountbatten, Miles Merrit, William Wade, and David Tollemache — were all ably shuttled to and from the races by a fleet of very chic Blacklane cars, while Jo Malone Candles provided a calming aroma throughout the box. What fun, really. Champion’s Day — it’s champion!

Tatiana Mountbatten, Sabrina Percy, Eleanor Wellesley and Charlotte-Elizabeth Evans

William Wade and Alex Hendy

Joe Bullmore, Rachel Bullmore and Harry Jarman

Alex Hendy and William Wade

Kristian Robson and David Tollemache

Azzam Jamil and Tom Manders

Alex Bertram

Harrison Osterfield

William Wade, Alex Hendy, Kornelijus Budrys, Suzanne Cameron and Harrison Osterfield

Nadia Parkes & Taura Lamb

Nadia Parkes & Taura Lamb

Kornelijus Budrys

William Tobin

Anna Maynard & Harry Clark

Amelia Gething & Harrison Osterfield

Kornelijus Budrys & Amelia Gething

Azzam Jamil

Jamie Roy

Guy Sangster and Kornelijus Budry

Jamie Roy & Harriet Slater

Corinna Brown