At the posh end it was a picnic from the boot of the Rolls or Bentley, while just a few hundred yards away in the public enclosure it was jellied eels and a pint.

But there was a common bond between the jet set and the people who saved up for a day out on a coach party as one of the great events in the British social calendar came under starter's orders.

Everyone heading through the turnstiles on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood was keen to pick a winner to help pay for their day out at the racecourse near Chichester.

More than 120,000 people are expected to sample a taste of festival week which has changed very little since King Edward VII went to the races and put Goodwood on the map when he described the event as a "garden party with some racing tacked on".

Between now and Saturday, racecourse caterers Payne and Gunter expected to have served 70,000 pints of beer, 1,200 lobsters, 250lb of smoked salmon and 20,000 bread rolls.

There are also 8,000 bottles of champagne and 6,000 of white wine on ice to help make the garden party go with a swing.

A steelband has been hired to provide a carnival atmosphere between races and some of the biggest companies in the country have hired a place in the giant tented village to entertain important clients.

The festival is also a chance for celebrity spotting because the week is a favourite for TV and sports personalities.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is expected and pop star Bryan Ferry is a Goodwood regular.

Punters can also admire the latest summer outfits, particularly tomorrow, which is Ladies Day.

Fashion guru Dawn Ralps said: "Goodwood is much less formal than Royal Ascot. For the men it is panamas instead of a top hat and the ladies will be wearing outfits this week that are effortlessly chic."

Festival week is also vital to the economy of West Sussex and experts believe it could be worth millions in publicity, tourism and employment.

Chichester District Council's economic development officer Martin Barnes said: "I am sure that every hotel within a 30-mile radius of Goodwood is fully booked and it will be an excellent week for many other businesses such as restaurants."

Some of the world's most expensive thoroughbreds may be racing for record prize money of £1.5 million this week but the star of the festival will be a jockey who recently cheated death and the Queen Mother, who will not even be there.

Frankie Dettori is expected to make his riding comeback at Goodwood this week just two months after he managed to escape from a light aircraft after it crashed and burst into flames, killing the pilot.

Ironically Dettori and fellow jockey Ray Cochrane, who also escaped from the stricken plane, were on their way to ride at Goodwood when the aircraft came down shortly after taking off from Newmarket.

On Friday a right royal celebration is planned to mark the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.

The trophy for the Queen Mother Molecomb Stakes will be presented to the winning owner by Michael Sealey, who is the Queen Mother's chef at Clarence House and who has worked for the Royal Family for 48 years.

Children will be given Union Flags to wave and every punter on the track will be asked to sing the National Anthem before the start of the race.

Rod Fabricius, racecourse general manager, said: "We certainly could not let an occasion like the Queen Mother's 100th birthday go unmarked, particularly as she has always been such a fan of racing.

"The Molecomb is a good race to run in her honour because Molecomb is a house on the Goodwood estate where the Queen Mother often used to stay when she came racing."

Racecourse owner the Duke of Richmond has wished punters luck and is looking forward to festival week in 2002 when Goodwood will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first race to be staged on the course.