Chester Vase

The Chester Vase is a Group 3 race for three-year-old colts and geldings over a mile and a half.

The Chester Vase takes place on Wednesday 10th May 2023.

It is held on the opening day of the Chester May Festival and is a significant Epsom Derby trial.

Famous past winners include Henbit (1980), Shergar (1981) and Ruler Of The World (2013).

Check out more about the Chester Vase:

Chester Vase

Race Overview – The Chester Vase

The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race for three-year-old colts and geldings contested in the United Kingdom.

It is run in May over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs, and 63 yards at Chester.

The Chester Vase is held on day 1 of the Chester May Festival at Chester Racecourse.

Chester Vase 2023 Odds

Here are the latest odds for the Chester Vase in May 2023:

3.15 Chester (Race 4) - BOG
  • Date: Wednesday 10th of May 2023
  • Time: 15:15
  • Details: 5 Runners Flat Flat 1m 4f 63y
2 Arrest
8/11
1 Adelaide River
3/1
5 Hadrianus
13/2
3 Duke Of Oxford
16/1
4 Galactic Jack
20/1

Here is a full list of odds at Chester Racecourse today.

Chester Vase 2023 Tips

Here are some tips for Chester Vase in May 2023:

  • 2 points to win for Arrest
  • 1 point each way for Adelaide River

Some of the horses in the Chester Vase will run in other events later in the year. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.

Here is the list of tips for Chester Races today from promising shrewd punters who analyse key information like the Chester Draw Bias.

Our great horse racing tipsters give free daily betting tips for today’s Chester events.

Chester Vase Previous Winners

Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time
1980HenbitWillie CarsonDick Hern2:36.56
1981ShergarWalter SwinburnMichael Stoute2:40.47
1982Super SunrisePaul CookGavin Hunter2:41.12
1983no race [a]
1984KaytuWillie CarsonDick Hern
1985Law SocietyPat EdderyVincent O'Brien2:44:72
1986NomroodRichard QuinnPaul Cole2:46.08
1987Dry DockWillie CarsonDick Hern2:37.97
1988UnfuwainWillie CarsonDick Hern2:52.48
1989Old VicSteve CauthenHenry Cecil2:34.21
1990BelmezSteve CauthenHenry Cecil2:41.42
1991ToulonPat EdderyAndré Fabre2:45.69
1992Twist and TurnSteve CauthenHenry Cecil2:37.13
1993ArmigerPat EdderyHenry Cecil2:35.32
1994Broadway FlyerMichael HillsJohn Hills2:36.03
1995LusoMichael KinaneClive Brittain2:38.38
1996High BaroqueJohn ReidPeter Chapple-Hyam2:40.16
1997Panama CityJohn ReidPeter Chapple-Hyam2:46.64
1998GullandMichael HillsGeoff Wragg2:38.18
1999Peshtigo [b]Michael HillsBarry Hills2:36.63
2000MillenaryPat EdderyJohn Dunlop2:38.11
2001Mr CombustibleMichael HillsBarry Hills2:34.30
2002Fight Your CornerKevin DarleyMark Johnston2:33.70
2003Dutch GoldFrankie DettoriClive Brittain2:35.85
2004Red LancerRobert MilesRichard Price2:44.33
2005HattanSeb SandersClive Brittain2:44.91
2006Papal BullKieren FallonSir Michael Stoute2:35.24
2007Soldier of FortuneMichael KinaneAidan O'Brien2:35.24
2008Doctor FremantleRyan MooreSir Michael Stoute2:37.39
2009Golden SwordColm O'DonoghueAidan O'Brien2:33.86
2010Ted SpreadDarryll HollandMark Tompkins2:43.32
2011Treasure BeachRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:39.10
2012MickdaamTony HamiltonRichard Fahey2:50.01
2013Ruler of the WorldRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:40.29
2014OrchestraRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:42.05
2015Hans HolbeinRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:45.53
2016US Army RangerRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:41.07
2017Venice BeachRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:35.84
2018Young RascalJames DoyleWilliam Haggas2:39.55
2019Sir DragonetDonnacha O'BrienAidan O'Brien2:42.91
no race 2020 [c]
2021Youth SpiritTom MarquandAndrew Balding2:45.83
2022ChangingoftheguardRyan MooreAidan O'Brien2:43.36
2023ArrestFrankie DettoriJohn and Thady Gosden2:52.31

Famous Chester Vase Winners

The Chester Vase is one of the first serious trials for the Derby and produced back-to-back Epsom winners with Henbit (1980) and Shergar (1981). Henbit was trained by Major Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson. Unfortunately, his racing career was interrupted by injury and was not able to reproduce his Epsom form as a four-year-old.

Shergar was a brilliant winner of the Chester Vase for Michael Stoute and Walter Swinburn. Racing in the famous green silks of His Highness The Aga Khan, the colt went on to win the Derby by a record ten lengths. He won the Irish Derby in effortless fashion with Lester Piggott aboard and also won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Shergar will sadly be remembered more for his tragic ending rather than his brilliant racing career. He was stolen from the Aga Khan’s stud farm in Ireland and held to ransom. It is believed that his captors were inexperienced in handling horses and that Shergar was killed, although his story remains shrouded in mystery.

The high level of Chester Vase winners was maintained in the eighties and early nineties. Law Society (1985) finished second at Epsom before winning the Irish Derby. Unfuwain (1988), Old Vic (1989), Belmez (1990) and Toulon (1991) were other top-class winners who went on to record multiple Group 1 victories.

The most recent horse to complete the Chester Vase/Epsom Derby double was Ruler Of The World in 2013. He was trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, a combination that have enjoyed unprecedented success in this event. Wings Of Eagles finished an eye-catching second in the Vase in 2017 and went one better at Epsom.

Chester Vase Previous Result

The 2022 result for the Chester Vase on the Chester Horse Racing Track is below:

Check out the full list of today’s Chester Races Results here.

Chester Vase Betting Trends

Five of the last eleven Chester Vase winners started favourite. Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore were responsible for all of them; Ruler Of The World (2013), Orchestra (2014), Hans Holbein (2015), US Army Ranger (2016) and Venice Beach (2017). US Army Ranger was by far the shortest-priced of those, starting at a prohibitive 4-11 favourite.

The race invariably attracts a small field.

The biggest field assembled in the last eleven renewals was in 2018 when Young Rascal defeated nine rivals.

Shock results are rare with Mickdaam (2012) being the longest-priced during the same period, returning at odds of 8-1 for Richard Fahey and Tony Hamilton.

Youth Spirit (2021) was a fraction shorter at 15-2 while Sir Dragonet won at 13-2 in 2019.

Chester Vase – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Aidan O’Brien has made this race his own in modern times, racking up a record ten victories. His winners to date; Soldier Of Fortune (2007), Golden Sword (2009), Treasure Beach (2011), Ruler Of The World (2013), Orchestra (2014), Hans Holbein (2015), US Army Ranger (2016), Venice Beach (2017), Sir Dragonet (2019) and Changingoftheguard (2022).

Of those, only Ruler Of The World has gone on to win the Derby, although he also trained Wings Of Eagles, runner-up at Chester and a winner at Epsom. With those ten victories coming in the last fifteen renewals, there has been little scope for other trainers to make their mark.

Sir Michael Stoute famously won here with Shergar and has subsequently scored with Papal Bull (2006) and Doctor Fremantle (2008).

Ryan Moore has a record eight race victories in this event, all for Aidan O’Brien. The two Ballydoyle runners not partnered by Moore were Golden Sword (2009) ridden by Colm O’Donoghue and Sir Dragonet (2019) ridden by Donnacha O’Brien.

Betting on the Chester Vase

The Chester Vase may not quite be the goldmine of talent that it was in the eighties and early nineties but it can still produce a top-class colt.

Aidan O’Brien always sends one or more exciting prospects to this event with Derby winners Ruler Of The World and Wings Of Eagles both taking this route to Epsom. His entries are certainly worth noting with a view to the Epsom Classic.

Popular Questions

When is the Chester Vase?

The Chester Vase takes place on 10th May 2023.

What is the distance of the Chester Vase?

The Chester Vase is 1 mile, 4 furlongs, and 63 yards long.

Summary of Chester Vase

The Chester Vase is held during the Boodles May Festival along with other races such as the Chester Cup, Dee Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes.

We hope you found the information you needed from our Chester Vase page, we have looked at betting, tips and more so you have all the info you need – thank you for reading.

Check out our guides to all the other Group 3 horse races.

Cheshire May Festival Information Articles

Resources

James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur who founded British Racecourses because of his love for horse racing. James owns 14 racehorses through Dooley Thoroughbreds, so he understands all aspects of horse racing, from wagering bets, and booking jockeys to sourcing the best horse racing trainers. James Dooley's connections give him inside information on horse racing tips and best chances of a winner.