Royal Ascot chiefs have relaxed the dress code as racegoers are braced for the hottest day of the year so far.
With temperatures set to peak at 31C, the strict clothing rules will no longer be in force after the royal procession, led by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Gentlemen will be permitted to remove jackets, ties and hats in all enclosures during the afternoon, which features the Group 1 Coronation Stakes.
The horses competing in the seven races will be cooled in a special area with misting fans after a recent six-figure investment.
A spokesman said yesterday: “Due to forecast high temperatures tomorrow, following the arrival of the Royal Procession the dress code will be relaxed in all enclosures.
"As temperatures are expected to be high, racegoers in all enclosures are welcome to bring water and soft drinks into the racecourse."
There was come confusion on social media over what attendees would be permitted to wear.
A tweet informing customers of the decision attracted many comments. One person wrote: "Please please give more clarity to what that actually means!"
The venue's spokesperson issued an update on raceday, which stated: "The Dress Code for your enclosure still applies for entry to Royal Ascot today."
Warm weather also prevailed for Thursday's programme, featuring the big race of the week, the Gold Cup.
It was won by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Kyprios, who defeated Mojo Star, with three-time champion Stradvarius in third under Frankie Dettori.
The famous Flat jockey then suffered a shock defeat aboard the Queen's Reach For The Moon, the shortest-priced favourite of the entire card.
He also finished a close second on another of the reigning monarch's horses, Saga.
Dettori rides Inspiral, the ante-post favourite in the Coronation Stakes on Friday, while the Queen has several runners led by Just Fine in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.
Overall at the meeting there is £8.7million in prize money on offer over the five days.
Forecasters predict that the weather will not dip below 30C until 6pm – and it is due to still be 27C at 8pm.
One of the racecourse announcers has been advising racegoers to keep hydrated.
As well as the fans for the horses, there will be extra water in the unsaddling area to keep them as cool as possible.
“We’ve raced at Royal Ascot in temperatures of 32C – 34C before and thoroughbred racehorses are able to run in very hot temperatures including in countries such as Dubai and Australia,” the racecourse spokesman added.
“To ensure their welfare at Royal Ascot, we provide them with lots of water and ice if necessary.We also recently invested £700,000 into our new unsaddling area which is positioned to benefit from maximum shade and features equine misting fans to aid with post-race cooling of horses.”
