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May the 4th is considered a holiday by Star Wars followers to celebrate the inception of the Star Wars phenomenon and encourages fans from around the world to embrace traditional Star Wars culture.  It’s thought that the date of May 4th was assigned as Star Wars day because of the common phrase or pun “May the Force be with you” being transpired to “May the 4th Be With You”!

The geeks that collect Star Wars attire spend today dressing up in more Star Wars costumes and watching more of the classic films than you can shake a geekometer at! Ironically Star Wars fans were not the first to introduce this now popular line “May the fourth be with you”, it was actually first coined when the iron lady Margaret Thatcher was elected back in 1979 on May 4th, when her party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News that said “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations” a phrase that merits its own appeal.

It’s understood that the first organised celebration of Star Wars Day took place in Canada’s hip city, Toronto, at the Toronto Underground Cinema. According to Wikipedia the festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest with celebrity judges and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen.

There are so many ways that you can celebrate Star Wars culture but for us, naturally, the best way to celebrate is to dress up in some Star Wars costumes. We have a fantastic selection of Star Wars outfits and masks for both men and women. Many of the masks that we stock are considered collectors items and believe it or not many of the customers that have purchased these from us, display them in pride of place cabinets around the house, mainly the sitting room! So, even if Star Wars is not your bag why not get involved this weekend, maybe watching a movie is good enough!

We hope that you all have a fantastic Bank Holiday  weekend and as always will keep you updated via the blog of everything fancy dress!

Ace Fancy Dress

May The 4th Be With You! is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

The nation has spoken…

You came, you clicked, we counted! Now behold the 100 Sexiest Women on Planet Earth 2012 – chosen by you, you and you over there with your trousers round your ankles (seriously dude, that’s not a strong look for riding the bus, pull ‘em up).

You voted in your hundreds of thousands this year – the incredible 18th year of FHM’s 100 Sexiest – and what an eye-popping list of lady-awesomeness it is. Honestly, you’ve done yourselves and the nation proud.

There’s definitely a patriotic whiff to the list – the Queen sadly didn’t quite make the grade (number 103 – so close Ma’am!), but we do have Pippa Middleton’s bum adding a nicely regal flavour to the whole affair.

A big thanks goes out to our chums at VO5 Extreme Style for supporting the 100 Sexiest campaign, book, party and making our hair look good.

And a huge backslap to you all for proving that democracy is alive and kicking (and sexier than ever).

Joe Barnes, Editor

So here are this year’s top 5 sexiest women in the world 2012 according to FHM readers:

Number 5: Georgia Salpa

Georgia Salpa Takes Number 5 turns out for awards

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Perhaps best known for her recent stint in celebrity Big Brother last year, Georgia Salpa is a Greek born sex bomb who was brought up in Ireland. She has made TV appearances on programmes The Podge and Rodge Show, Republic of Telly, Celebrity Salon and Catwalk to Kilimanjaro. Her recent appearance on celebrity Big Brother has earned her more exposure in the media and it would appear that her career is steadily on the up.

Number 4: Rosie Jones

Girl next door..?

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Rosie Jones is the ultimate pin up model that leaves men around the country weak at the knees. She is a model from Middlesex who currently holds the unconventional world record for putting on and removing the most bras in one minute.

Number 3: Rihanna

Global superstar

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Of course, this woman needs no introduction, as she’s one of the biggest pop stars and teenage icons on the planet. Originally from Barbados, Rihanna’s success is enormous and boasts an array of awards from various ceremonies around the world. Her awards include 5 American Music Awards, 2 Brit Awards, 6 Grammy awards and 3 MOBO awards to name but a few. New York magazine commented that Rihanna’s style and early look was that of a cookie-cutter teen queen while stating that she has the ability to shift looks dramatically and with great ease. This was underscored when in March 2011 American Chronicle writer Arturo Tora termed her “Rihannaissance Woman”. One of her UK appearances on the X-Factor was slated by some parents stating it was totally sex orientated and shown before the watershed, something ITV had to hold their hands up for – there was whips and chains in abundance! The sultry singer has also indulged in acting in having appeared in the Peter Berg-produced film Battleship. Rihanna, in our opinion you deserved the number one spot – we salute you!

Number 2: Cheryl Cole

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Having been beaten to the top spot, the nations own sweetheart Cheryl Cole comes in at number 2. Known for her days in girl band Girls Aloud and marriage to premiership footballer Ashley Cole, Cheryl Cole is hot property. She has made appearance on many TV programmes including her time as a Judge on the X Factor, a roll she also carried out on the American version of the show before being axed prematurely by American producers. With her well publicised split from footballer husband, Cheryl Cole is still on the market, so you’re going to have to move quick boys!

Number 1: Tulisa Contostavlos

Crowned by FHM

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To be quite honest the candidate that nabbed the number one spot was a bit of a surprise to many – Tulisa Contostavlos. Following some unwanted attention from the media after the release of a sex tape that appeared on the Internet, Tulisa’s resilient character shines through and continues to go from strength to strength. She actually replaced second place candidate Cheryl Cole as resident X Factor hottie in August 2011. Former member of hip-hop trio N-Dubz, she continues to focus on a solo career.

So, if all that hotness is too much to take and look at, why not take a peak at our top 5 sexiest selling fancy dress costumes for you to do some of your own sexy dressing up.

Number 5: Sexy Arrest Me Offer:

A new line that has only recently been added to the website, is this ever so sultry yet sophisticated Sexy Arrest Me Officer costume. Living in our cops and convicts category this costume includes a tutu style dress with hat. The short black and gold dress is layered with an entrecote tutu skirt finished in gold trim and police badge detailing on the chest.

Number 4: Gold Catsuit

This outfit is a classic and is one of the best costumes to show off your figure as it’s super tight! Used by many of our customers as an outfit for James Bond themed fancy dress themed parties, this outfit is a winner! The costume includes sexy figure hugging metallic gold catsuit with zip up attachment on the front so you can show as much cleavage as you want! Whoa…

Number 3:Lace Burlesque Stunner:

No sexy fancy dress section is complete without a sexy burlesque costume and our Lace Burlesque costume does exactly what it says on the tin! Often worn for theatrical shows and burlesque themed parties, this outfit includes short red and black halter neck dress with a sexy black ribbon bow detailing on the front finished in red lace trim.

Number 2: Tomb Raider Costume:

Ask any male if they have a soft spot for Lara Croft and we’re pretty sure the response will be “yes”. Having asked some of the male office staff here at Ace Fancy Dress HQ the same question, the word “fantasy” seems to pop up often! This stunning officially licensed costume includes classic brown top and shorts, leather look boot covers, grenades and is finished with that sexy hip belt.

Number 1: Leg Avenue Referee Fancy Dress:

What a winner!

Not surprisingly, the number one spot is taken up by a leg avenue costume. For anyone that doesn’t know, Leg Avenue is quite simply the most famous fancy dress costume company in the world. Known for their outrageously sexy costumes, Leg Avenue has built their brand based on quality and style. This ever so sexy female referee costume will leave men with their tongue out and includes short zipper front dress, referee themed socks and whistle to aid you in sending off any naughty boys!

So there you have it, our top five sexy costumes taken from our sexy fancy dress section which should help spark some fancy dress ideas if you’re wanting to dress up sultry. Feel free to send in your pics of you in your sexy outfits!

Ace Fancy Dress

SEX SELLS! FHM Sexiest Women 2012 is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

17 year old from Kent embraces last year's mud at Glastonbury

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Ask around in your office or work colleagues if anyone is attending a festival this year and more often than not you will find someone who’s attending one of the many that take place in and around the UK. Festivals and fancy dress go hand in hand and so for today’s blog post we’re giving you a run down of some of the festivals not to be missed this summer so you can pick and choose the one that suits you and your friends best.

At festivals you can let your hair down and be yourself

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Ace Fancy Dress’s – What, when, who and where guide of festivals 2012…

What? Hop Farm Festival

When? Thu 28 Jun – Sun 1 Jul

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Bob Dylan, Damien Rice, Maximo Park, Peter Gabriel, Bellowhead, and more.

Where? Hop Farm Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6PY

What? T In The Park

When? Thu 5 Jul – Mon 9 Jul

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Snow Patrol, Florence and The Machine, Kasabian, The Stone Roses, Kaiser Chiefs, and more.

Where? Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland

What? Download

When? Wed 6 Jun – Mon 11 Jun

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: The Prodigy, Metallica, Biffy Clyro, You Me At Six, Chase & Status (Live), and more.

Where? Donington Park

What? V Festival Chelmsford

When? Fri 17 Aug – Sun 19 Aug

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: The Killers, Keane, Madness, and more.

Where? Hylands park, Weston Park Chelmsford

What? Reading Festival

When? Wed 22 Aug – Sun 26 Aug

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Foo Fighters, Paramore, and more.

Where? Richfield Avenue, Reading

What? Isle Of Wight Festival

When? Thu 21 Jun – Sun 24 Jun

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band, Elbow, Jessie J, and more.

Where? Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight.

What? Lovebox

When? Fri 15 Jun – Sun 17 Jun

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Friendly Fires, Mika, Hot Chip, Crystal Castles, Lana Del Rey, and more.

Where? London, E9

What? Latitude Festival

When? Thu 12 Jul – Sun 15 Jul

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Jack Dee, Paul Weller, Al Murray, Tim Minchin, and more.

Where? Henham Park, Southwold, Sunrise Coast, Suffolk

What? Bestival

When? Thu 6 Sep – Sun 9 Sep

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Two Door Cinema Club, The xx, Sigur Ros, Justice, and more.

Where? Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight

What? Rockness

When? Fri 8 Jun – Sun 10 Jun

Who? Confirmed line-up includes: Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, Noah & The Whale, and more.

Where? Loch Ness Scotland

What? Swedish House Mafia – Milton Keynes Bowl – Not a festival but this show is going to be massive!

Who? Swedish House Mafia

When? Jun 14^th

Where? Milton Keynes Bowl, Bucks

Any regular Besitval partygoer will know that the infamous festival sets a specific fancy dress theme and this year the festival have announced that this year’s fancy dress theme is “wildlife”. To make things that little bit easier, we have devised a festival fancy dress section, which contains some of our popular festival style costumes that is located within our fancy dress themes section. You will find that our fancy dress themes section contains some unique categories that you might find fit the festival vibe. For anyone trying to get ideas for the wildlife theme then be sure to have a look at our animal costumes category, which contains of all our animal fancy dress costumes for both men and women. The great thing about animal costumes is that so many of them can be classed unisex and are a good choice if you’re wanting to team up with a partner or friends. So next time you’re researching your fancy dress for a festival, remember Ace Fancy Dress!

For the jet setters out there, check this cool video we found on you tube of the 10 biggest festivals around the world including the UK. Oh and see if you can spot the fancy dress!..

 Ace Fancy Dress

Our What’s What Festival Guide 2012 is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

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So What’s The Plot All About?
Viewers can expect the return of all the classic iconic  Marvel Characters including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and even Black Widow. The plot unfolds when an unexpected enemy surfaces which puts global safety and security at risk. Member and director of S.H.I.E.L.D Nick Fury, finds himself needing to recruit a like minded powerful team of individuals to bring the world back from the brink of disaster and evil. Efforts spanning the globe, a testing recruitment effort begins which sees many of our favourite characters return. For a full breakdown of the plot check the Wikipedia page. The cast boasts a list of grade A Hollywood movie stars including Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson.

The cast are Superhero actors themselves!

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Check out the official trailer below:

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%

With a fantastic Rotten Tomatoes score already, here’s a couple of comments by critics taken from the Rotten Tomatoes website:

“It’s an enjoyably absurd and absurdly enjoyable extravaganza, both delirious and surrealist”

“The story is epic, but rooted in humanity. The direction is slick and large for the set pieces, but intimate to contextualise the heroes. “We have a HULK” of a film and we have Joss Whedon to thank”

“[S]upercool, superfun… [A] real geek’s brew… of premises and possibilities. All of which somehow work together, don’t feel underdone, and leave us feeling like, for all its absurdity, everything we see is happening in a real space to real people”

If you’re located in the Milton Keynes area the same as us – then here’s this Saturdays viewing times but advanced viewing is advised with a few slots already booked out:

Sat 28 Apr
00:05 00:05 10:30 10:30 12:20 12:50 13:50 13:50 15:00 15:50 16:20 17:10 17:10 19:20 19:50 20:40 20:40 22:00 22:50 23:20

Generally all superhero themed movies are some of our favourties here at Ace Fancy Dress and many of the marvel films over the years have amassed iconic status which are shown all around the world. We’re proud to be stockists of an extensive selection of superhero costumes for both men and women which includes many of the classic superhero characters that are instantly recognisable. Superhero fancy dress outfits are great for couples as you can often dress as a duo such as Batman and Catwoman, Bananaman and Bananawoman. So next time you’re thinking of unlocking your superhero powers, think Ace Fancy Dress!

Ace Fancy Dress

Get Down The Pictures This Weekend is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

A recent picture that caught our eye on Twitter was a keen football fan that had invented his own fancy dress costume in the from of football bad boy Mario Balotelli, using a little bit of imagination and some awesome fancy dress accessories.

Great effort as Mario Balotelli!

With Balotelli appearing regularly in the press and being a controversial character, we think that dressing up as Mario Balotelli will definitely be a costume that would go down well at any themed fancy dress party. So here’s our step-by-step guide to achieve the Mario Balotelli look:

Checklist:

Hair – Mohican Style

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Balotelli often sports his signature Mohican hairstyle that is currently dyed yellow. To achieve this look all you need is our Mr. T Mohican headpiece and gold yellow hair spray.

Clothing

Playing for Manchester City, Mario Balotelli sports the blue strip and is well known for wearing that tee-shirt under his strip that said “Why always me”? Producing a bespoke tee shirt like this is very easy, you can make it yourself with self adhesive kits or alternatively a print shop can print the tee shirt for you. If you have a Manchester city strip then you’re laughing but if not blue tee shirt and white shorts will suffice. However, if you want to go the whole hog and want to purchase the official Manchester city shirt, then Sports Direct is a good choice with competitive prices.

Face paint

Having dark skin colour you will need to try and match this to gain an authentic look. Our range of dark colour face paints will do the job with one of our 30ml pots covering both the face and upper body.

So there you have it, the ultimate checklist to achieve the Mario Balotelli look – it’s that easy and will go down a treat! Just don’t go buying people tanks of petrol!

Ace Fancy Dress

Fancy Dress – The Mario Balotelli Way! is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

This year fancy dress runners followed suit like every other year with hundreds if not thousands of dedicated runners dressing up in a vast selection of fancy dress, everything from the subtle to the dam right crazy! Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang won the men’s elite race with an impressive time of 2:04:44 and Mary Keitany, also from Kenya, defended her title successfully recording a time of 2:18:37.

This years men’s wheelchair race was won by Britain’s very own David Weir, which was his sixth victory.

Here’s a selection of our favourite costumes having scoured the Internet:

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Check out this video of the most unusual costumes spotted at this years race including participants trying to break world records:

We would like to thank all of our loyal customers who purchased outfits from us to wear for this years marathon and a massive well done for raising money for your selected charities.

Ace Fancy Dress

The London Marathon 2012 – Fancy Dress Shines Through is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

Saturday Formulae 1 – Bahrain GP Qualifying

Big decisions to be made by the chief

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Following the rioting that continues this weekend in Bahrain, the decision to go ahead and hold the race there as normal has been considered controversial to say the least. Reports suggest that the Force India team members were forced flee as they were bombarded with petrol bombs on their way back from the Bahrain GP track practice sessions. With the Brits on good form, qualifying will be crucial to gain a podium place on Sunday!

Saturday – Full Premier League Fixtures

Arsenal V Chelsea Sat 21 Apr     12:45

Aston Villa V Sunderland Sat 21 Apr     15:00

Blackburn V Norwich Sat 21 Apr     15:00

Bolton V Swansea Sat 21 Apr     15:00

Fulham V Wigan Sat 21 Apr     15:00

Newcastle V Stoke Sat 21 Apr     15:00

QPR V Tottenham Sat 21 Apr     17:30

Saturday – La Liga El Classico 21:00

With not only the champions league hotting up between the four remaining teams that include Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the La Liga is as tight as the Premier League. Spanish football’s biggest rivalry takes centre stage on Saturday as each team try’s to get a step closer to the La Liga tittle!

Sunday Bahrain Grand Prix

Sunday Barclays Premier League Fixtures:

Man Utd V Everton Sun 22 Apr     12:30
Liverpool V West Brom Sun 22 Apr     16:00

Wolves V Man City Sun 22 Apr     16:00

Squeaky bum time!

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Sunday 09:00am The Virgin London Marathon

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For everything The London Marathon check our recent marathon blog post.

So there you have a break down of the sporting occasions this weekend – it’s going to be unmissable!

Our social media team here at Ace Fancy Dress has been extremely busy organising cool competitions for all our social network friends. This week our geniuses have given you the opportunity to win a giant gummy bear that weighs 2kg in weight and the good news is it’s not too late for you to enter and win this lonely but yummy gummy bear! Check this competition from our Facebook page:

**Big Handsome Bear with GSOH looking for a new Home**

We’ve just taken delivery of a couple of Giant Gummy Bears (don’t ask)!! One is really enough, so we thought we’d offer you guys the chance to win the other. He’s 24cm tall, 2kg in gummy weight and is the equivalent to 1,400 regular sized Gummi Bears…All he wants is some love & to feel wanted, so to win him please like the post – make him feel wanted again and we’ll randomly select a winner on Friday 20th April @ 16:00pm. Don’t forget you must like the post, good luck!! (UK residents only)

This little bear needs a home

Loads going on next week – stay tuned to our social sites and the blog to keep updated.

Have a good weekend and good luck to everyone running in the London Marathon!

Ace Fancy Dress

Gummy Bear Competition and Sporting Fixtures is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

Description

We @AceFancyDress cannot wait for the 2012 London Marathon. It’s such a fantastic event for fund raising & raising awareness for some very worthwhile charities and causes, & we thoroughly admire everyone taking part!

So we thought it was only fair we done our bit too. We are giving away this great 118 118 fancy dress runner costume to get you in the spirit for the race, or even to be used if your competing!

So for the chance to win, all you need to do is click ‘Enter’ & we will randomly select a winner when the Competwition closes. Again from everyone @AceFancyDress a huge good luck and congratulations to everyone who is taking part in the 2012 London Marathon.

Good Luck!

Perfect choice of outfit for London Marathon

There is 1 prize available in this Competwition.

How Competwition works:

Entry is completely free – all you need is a Twitter account!
When you enter you’ll automatically follow @competwition and @AceFancyDress, and you’ll automatically tweet the competwition prize details and a link to your followers – this will only happen once per entry.
Oh, and if you happen to be picked by Competwition’s random winner generator at the end of the competwition, @AceFancyDress will contact you via Twitter to let you know you’ve won some excellent booty!

To enter visit the official competition page.

Don’t forget it’s not too late to get your hands on some fantastic fancy dress in time for this year’s marathon. Our shipping services are running as normal with standard delivery orders being delivered within 48 hours and our next day delivery service operating as normal with delivers to be made the following day between 9am- 3pm.

Good luck in the competition!

To view our London Marathon blog post read it at the link highlighted.

Ace Fancy Dress UK

Win a 118118 Fancy Dress Costume for the London Marathon! is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

So what can we expect this weekend? Here’s a breakdown:

Liverpool Day 12th April 2012

Feature races on this day include; The BGC Liverpool Hurdle, won by the Paul Nicholl’s trained, Big Buck’s who will attempt to make this year 4 wins out of 4 in the opening race of the meeting. The Matalan Anniversary 4YO Novices’ Hurdle and the Betfred Bowl also feature on this day, with the a race over the Grand National course in the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Steeple Chase.

Off course, Olympic hopeful, Beth Tweddle will officially open the festival following a sky dive into the Aintree by The Red Devils.

Liverpool, known for its good humor and comedy heritage will showcase some of Comedy Central’s finest comedians, Javier Jarquin, Peter Antoniou and Christian Steel in series of pop-up gigs.

In the Aintree Pavilion, race goers can enjoy performances by bands from the Threshold Festival, in addition to Just John and Paul, The Merseybeasts and The Amazing Kappa, not forgetting a closing performance by The Christians.

Ladies’ Day Friday 13th April 2012

Known as the biggest social and style day out in the North West, Ladies’ Day will return to Aintree on Friday 13th April and promises to be more stylish than ever. Race day fashions provide a spectacle of colour in the Red Rum Garden with some amazing prizes up for grabs for Aintree’s most stylish race goers. With make-up sampling, goody bag giveaways and fashion shows all happening in this area, it’s the ultimate race day style experience.

The day’s on-course action includes the £175,000 John Smith’s Melling Steeple Chase, won in spectacular style in 2011 by the Paul Nicholls-trained Master Minded and the John Smith’s Topham Chase over the Grand National course.

2012 John Smith’s Grand National Day April 2012

Self explanatory!
(Information taken from official Aintree website)

As we like to make things easy for you here at Ace Fancy Dress, here’s a breakdown of the runners we should make things easy for you when putting your family or friends sweeps together:
Synchronised 7-1
West End Rocker 11-1
Giles Cross 12-1
Ballabriggs 14-1
Chicago Grey 14-1
Junior 14-1
Cappa Bleu 16-1
Killyglen 16-1
On His Own 16-1
Seabass 18-1
Sunnyhillboy 18-1
Becauseicouldntsee 20-1
Shakalakaboomboom 20-1
Treacle 20-1
Always Right 25-1
Organisedconfusion 25-1
Neptune Collonges 28-1
According To Pete 33-1
Black Apalachi 33-1
Calgary Bay 33-1
Planet Of Sound 33-1
The Midnight Club 33-1
Alfa Beat 40-1
Always Waining 40-1
Le Beau Bai 40-1
Rare Bob 40-1
State Of Play 40-1
Weird Al 40-1
Mon Mome 50-1
Quiscover Fontaine 50-1
Any Currency 66-1
Arbor Supreme 66-1
Deep Purple 66-1
Vic Venturi 66-1
Hello Bud 80-1
Midnight Haze 80-1
Swing Bill 80-1
Tatenen 80-1
Ballyvesey 100-1
Neptune Equester 100-1
Smoking Aces 100-1
Tharawaat 100-1
Viking Blond 100-1
Abbeybraney 150-1
In Compliance 150-1
Our Island 150-1
Postmaster 150-1
Saddlers Storm 150-1

2011 Winner Ballabriggs

We have spoken to loads of our customers this week who are either lucky enough and are attending the race at Aintree, or are holding their own Grand National themed event. We’ve also heard from groups of Stags who have been busy organising stag dos and a herd of drunken stags heading to Aintree (be warned). With the Grand National being such a popular race we think it’s great that people put in such efforts to celebrate it and watch it. As normal, we have some fantastic horse racing themed fancy dress costumes including our super cool jockey costumes and horse outfits. Check out our top selling Jockey costume from the last two weeks:

You still have time to get hold of any of our Grand National themed outfits available from our sporting costumes section in time for The Grand national – to guarantee your delivery in time we’re recommending our next day delivery service.

Remember if you’re intended on having your yearly flutter on this iconic race remember the most important factors that should influence your decision, which are:

Jumping
Weight
Stamina
Any other factors in leading up to the race

Paddy Power is a good website offering some good odds.

Good Luck

Ace Fancy Dress

Aintree Madness Starts Today – Here We Go… is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog

For all the sports fans out there, the Masters starts in just a few hours so stay tuned to your TV and radio to keep up to date with all the latest scores! Here’s an interesting article from the BBC from sports writers and people in the golfing know on who they’re are backing for this years hotly anticipated event:

Masters 2012: Golf’s pundits give their Augusta predictions
THE MASTERS

Venue: Augusta National, Georgia
Dates: 5-8 April
Live BBC TV coverage: BBC Two Saturday & Sunday from 2030 and 1900 BST; Amen Corner plus holes 15 & 16 on Saturday & Sunday on Red Button & online
BBC Radio: 5 live from 2100 BST on Thursday, Friday & Saturday; 2000 BST Sunday

It’s time to stick our heads above the mast, nail our colours to the parapet and ask, ‘who is going to win the Masters?’

It really is that simple. Who is going to win? Oh, all right – and who else is going to have a big week?

Here’s what the press pack think. What do you reckon?

Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters

Winner: Tiger Woods.

Knows this place inside out. Has four victories but, probably more importantly, he tied for fourth the last two years when he wasn’t at his best so he’s going to be difficult to beat this week.

Big week: KJ Choi.
Tiger Woods

Woods is targeting his fifth Green Jacket

Rain is going to be a factor this week so I’ll go with KJ. It’s mostly a gut feeling but he has plenty of experience around here.

Scott Michaux, Augusta Chronicle

Winner: Luke Donald.

He is going to surprise the favourites and remain world number one. People overlook him because he does not hit as long as a traditional winner. But he is the best iron player and has the best short game of anyone in this field.

Big week: Kyle Stanley.

As a surprise I think this rookie will fare very well. He’s a huge hitter and just seems to have a game that matches perfectly to this golf course.

Peter Dixon, the Times

Winner: Luke Donald.

In the form of his life. The best short game player in the world, putting is fantastic and chipping and bunker play is second to none. One thing that will work against him will be distance off the tee if we get much more rain. But he’ll know if he gets there or thereabouts on most greens then he’s in with a shout.

Big week: Justin Rose.
Rory McIlroy

McIlroy suffered a meltdown when leading last year

In strong form, is very confident, feels comfortable now wherever he plays and is a good each-way bet.

Tim Rosaforte, Golf Channel

Winner: Rory McIlroy.

Last week on TV I said McIlroy when I was pushed 10 seconds before we went to a commercial break and then a week later I was asked again. I wasn’t going to do a Mitt Romney and start flipping so I’m sticking with him. I like the story, I’d like to see him come back and right the wrong, from a playing standpoint, of last year. Plus [I like] the way he handled it and what a gentleman he is.

Big week: Luke Donald.

It’s almost like he’s become an outsider because he hasn’t won a major. He’s getting hardly any credit right now, people are overlooking him, but he came fourth last year and could outwedge everybody this week. He’s a resourceful little chap.

Andrew Cotter, BBC TV

Winner: Phil Mickelson.

His putting seems to be getting closer again and Augusta just inspires him.

Big week: Sang-Moon Bae.

Debutant, but long-hitter and his quarter-final in the World Matchplay plus runner-up in Florida last month were just glimpses of what he can do.
KJ Choi

Choi’s best Masters finish is third in 2004

Neil McLeman, Daily Mirror

Winner: Rory McIlroy.

For sentimental value. I’d love to see him do it after last year. He’s in very relaxed mood, in good form and is certainly the best story.

Big week: KJ Choi.

There are so many good stories out there that I fear a no-name American. But Choi is very steady, very consistent and has got the game for here. A good each-way bet.

Paul Mahoney, Sports Illustrated’s Golf.com

Winner: Luke Donald.

Under the radar, which he likes. Everyone is talking about a two-horse race and he’s always been the guy everyone forgets – the invisible world number one. It’s all about short game with him and he’s absolutely sensational with his irons and putter, and that’s what you need around Augusta.

Big week: Charl Schwartzel.

Difficult to call the defending champion an outsider but everyone has forgotten about him. The South African most people are talking about at Augusta is Ernie Els and he’s not even here. Has had such a fantastic time as Masters champion, and said recently that putting on the Green Jacket made him feel like Superman. That will inspire him to defend well.

Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph

Winner: Luke Donald.

When people say it’s a two-horse race, I’m inclined to look elsewhere out of sheer perversity. If I had to have a bet I’d look at Donald at about 16-1. I think he is going to win a major, he’s in good nick and this might be his opportunity to upset the front two.

Big week: Hunter Mahan.
Justin Rose

Rose won the WGC-Cadillac Championship last month

The best of the Americans outside of Woods. He seems to be the coming man of American golf.

Iain Carter, BBC Radio 5 live

Winner: Luke Donald.

Ticks all the boxes with the strengths of his game, accurate approach play and peerless short game.

Big week: Webb Simpson.

He first played this course as a 12-year-old and shot 80. He’s developed into one of America’s top players and odds of 60-1 appear generous for a man of his abilities.

James Corrigan, Independent

Winner: Phil Mickelson.

Has proved himself to be an Augusta specialist having won three times in the last seven years. Impressed me last week and it looks like he is peaking at the right time.

Big week: Justin Rose.

Has won World Golf Championships now and the next step is to really compete in majors. Has competed down the stretch here before and can learn from that, so could go very close.

David Facey, the Sun

Winner: Luke Donald.

Is ready to break out and win his first major. Was really impressive in the way he won at Disney when he had to to clinch the US money title – that’s a sign he can really handle pressure. People forget he was level with Tiger Woods last year and he has had three top 10s now so this can be his year.

Big week: Bill Haas.
Phil Mickelson

Mickelson has won the Masters three times, most recently in 2010

Under the radar a bit but he won the FedEx Series last year. Hasn’t done a lot since but might be coming into form at the right time. The way he was winning towards the end of last year suggests he could feature prominently this week.

Neil Squires, Daily Express

Winner: Phil Mickelson.

Record here is virtually second to none. He knows the course like the back of his hand, is playing well and it’s all in his favour.

Big week: Paul Casey.

Seems happy again with life. He’s suited to playing here because he hits it high. It’s the major that gives him the most chance of winning. Although he hasn’t played a lot since his snowboarding accident he has a spring in his step.

Rob Hodgetts, BBC Sport online

Winner: Luke Donald.

Supremely confident in his own abilities and fiercely motivated beneath the quiet exterior. Has become a proven winner – and more importantly has won when things such as US money list or world number one status were on the line. Lack of length not an issue. Irons and short game too good.

Big week: Ian Poulter.

Someone will emerge from the pack that no-one is talking about and when he’s got that Ryder Cup fire going I like the cut of his jib. Plus, he told me last week his game and brain are coming together nicely.

Full BBC article and everything Master check out the BBC sport website.

Here’s the book makers top 6 as it stands:

Sky Bet:

Tiger Woods 5/1
Rory McIlroy 13/2
Phil Mickelson 12/1
Luke Donald 12/1
Lee Westwood 18/1
Justin Rose 22/1
Hunter Mahan 25/1
Keegan Bradley 25/1

So plenty to look forward to this weekend! Here’s wishing everyone a very Happy Easter from everyone here at Ace Fancy Dress!

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We Wish You A Happy Easter – The Masters It Is Then! is a post from: Ace Fancy Dress Blog