Chester Racecourse Guide

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Welcome to our official guide to Chester Racecourse.

We explore this stunning city centre racecourse in detail, looking at its long history, a guide to the unique track, the major races (including the May Festival), local hotel picks, fixtures and travel information.

If you are looking for the latest betting tips for Chester, check out our full guide to Chester Racecourse tips.

In our Chester Races guide, we show all the Chester race dates 2024 and information for attending the racetrack.

Find out about the beautiful Chester Racecourse today:

Chester Racecourse Guide

Overview of Chester Racecourse

Officially recognised as the oldest racecourse in operation by Guinness World Records, Chester has a long, varied and rich history that makes a trip to the racecourse as educational and informative, as it is fun.

Chester Racecourse is also known as ‘the Roodee’, a name that originates from the mound in the middle of the track that’s decorated with a cross. The mound is the ‘rood’ and ‘roodee’ translates roughly as ‘the Island of the Cross’.

The racecourse is also the smallest used in significant British racing, measuring just one mile and one furlong around in total. It’s flat left-handed and unusually, the course is in the city centre – almost unheard of compared to other racing tracks in the UK.

This means that what it doesn’t offer in size, it makes up for in popularity; as it’s always very well-attended and very much a part of the city’s ‘going out’ culture.

Independently owned, Chester Race Company Ltd. runs both the Roodee and Bangor-on-Dee courses, as well as an on-site hotel, two restaurants, a bar, and a catering company (that operate at both courses as well as third party venues). Interestingly, the company broke out and made history back in 2012 by becoming Britain’s first course to launch and introduce their own betting system: ChesterBET, which was implemented in place of the existing Tote facilities at the site.

The course is open 365 days a year, remains critically acclaimed and (although small in size) can boast the titles of Large Racecourse Of The Year 2015, 2018 and 2019, alongside the Racehorse Owner’s Association Gold Standard certification.

Chester Racecourse

Chester Racing Tips

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Chester Racecourse History

Chester Racecourse is on the banks of the River Dee, which was originally a harbour, with legend stating that the cross on the ‘rood’ was to commemorate a former statue of the Virgin Mary that had been torn down.

It was also home to the Chester Midsummer Watch Parade before being used as a football ground.

The infamous Goteddsday football match took place on the field and was outlawed as a result in 1533.

Five years later, the city stipulated football was to be replaced by racing, and so in 1539, Chester Racecourse as we know it today was launched.

Victors at the races were awarded the ‘Chester Bells’, decorative (and very loud) bells to be fitted to the horse’s bridles, and later on, the Chester Cup gold trophy.

Today, of course, the prizes are all financial, but evidence of these accolades remain a part of history.

In 1766, a May Festival was added, and in 1824, the Tradesmen’s Cup; which went on to become the Chester Cup.

The first grandstand was completed in 1817 and the first ticket sold in 1897.

It has since diversified into a multi-purpose events venue with the main stand called the County Stand: in 2006, it hosted its first music gig (Westlife, as part of their UK tour, visited several British racecourses), opening its first restaurant in 2008 and its first bar in 2013.

Chester Races and Main Events

Six notable races take place at Chester annually in May at the famous and brilliant Chester May Festival.

The main races at the May Festival include:

Unlike most other racecourses, attendance is high for all – because its location makes it easy to reach for all visiting the city.

The Cup is the “Grand Finale” of sorts and is a flat handicap race of two-track laps.

Other main races throughout the year include:

  • City Plate
  • Queensferry Stakes
  • Chester Stakes
  • Stand Cup

Chester Racecourse Map

Please see the Chester racecourse map below:

Chester Racecourse Map
Courtesy of At The Races.

Chester is a left-handed racecouese and very sharp track.

It is almost circular meaning that horses are almost always on the turn. It is just over one mile around with a short run-in of just under two furlongs.

A low draw at Chester is a big advantage over sprints and even over middle-distance races, particularly so in large fields where being caught wide means a runner is giving lots of ground away.

Is there draw bias at Chester Racecourse?

There is a significant draw bias at Chester Racecourse over all the different distances.

From our analysis and research the draw bias remains the same in all ground conditions and over all distances.

What is the Draw Bias at Chester 5 Furlongs?

The draw bias over 5 furlongs at Chester favours the horses drawn low as it is a tight turning track.

The 5f trip has long been one of the strongest draw biases and there is still a strong a significant advantage to low draws.

On the 5f course, the advantage is given to horses with low number draws.

Chester over 5 furlongs has the most well-known draw bias and you also need a horse with early speed to make use of a good draw.

What is the Draw Bias at Chester 6 Furlongs?

The draw bias over straight 6 furlongs at Chester favours the horses drawn low as it is a tight turning track.

On the 6f course, the advantage is given to horses with low number draws.

Chester over 6 furlongs hugely benefits lowly drawn stalls and you also need a horse with early speed to make use of a good draw.

What is the Draw Bias at Chester 7 Furlongs?

The draw bias over 7 furlongs at Chester favours the horses drawn low.

Low-drawn horses are favoured as the seven-furlong races at Chester are run around a tight bend, with horses being drawn low on the inside.

What is the Draw Bias at Chester 1 Mile?

The draw bias over 1 mile at Chester favours the horses drawn low.

Races at 1m+ there is also a draw bias to horses in low-number stalls as they stand better chances of grabbing the inside route on the rail.

Chester Racecourse Address

The full Chester racecourse address is:

Chester Racecourse
The Racecourse
New Crane Street
Chester
CH1 2LY

How To Get To Chester Racecourse

There are a number of ways to travel to Chester racecourse but being in the centre of the city, it is an easy racecourse to reach:

  • By Car – to get to the racecourse, you just need to head to Chester. A car park sits right at the entrance of the course and the city is easily accessible from the M53, M56, M6 and A483. The postcode for your stat nav is – Chester CH1 2LY.
  • Train – Chester train station is a six-minute taxi journey from the racecourse or a twenty-minute walk.
  • Air – for air travel, there are landing facilities at nearby Deeside, but arrangements need to be agreed and made in advance with British Aerospace (as this doesn’t just serve the course). Slightly further afield are Manchester and Liverpool Airports.

Hotels Near Chester Racecourse

Any hotel in Chester will be within walking distance of the Roodee, but the Holiday Inn Express Chester Racecourse sits on the site itself. It has a variety of room options and packages, breakfast included in all rates, free Wi-Fi and complimentary parking. The hotel does get booked up on race days, so book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Other chain hotels in Chester include:

  • Wetherspoons Inn
  • Doubletree by Hilton
  • Best Western
  • The Mill Hotel
  • Rowton Hall Spa
  • Crabwall Manor

Online Betting Sites For Chester Races

At British Racecourses, we often recommend betting online and via apps. This is because you can often get the best odds guaranteed, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.

With 3G, 4G and on course Wifi, online betting sites or betting via mobile app is a popular choice.

Be sure to check out the awesome betting bonuses for online betting below: 

Betting Shops Local to Chester Racecourse

All betting facilities at Chester Racecourse are managed by the brand’s own gaming system, ChesterBET, alongside the standard independent bookmakers to the side of the course.

ChesterBET offers an alternative to traditional pool-based dividends, as well as Win, Each-Way, Forecast, Trixie and Tri-Place bets. Variances aren’t huge on traditional betting, but staff are trained to explain clearly the differences – so ask if you need any clarification.

Being a city, there are of course plenty of betting options in Chester itself. Branches of:

as well as independent branches of Cook Bookmakers, Corbett Sports and David Pluck.

Chester Races 2024

Here is the horse racing calendar for Chester Races in 2024:

DateRacecourseWeekday
8/5/2024ChesterWednesday
9/5/2024ChesterThursday
10/5/2024ChesterFriday
25/5/2024ChesterSaturday
14/6/2024ChesterFriday
15/6/2024ChesterSaturday
29/6/2024ChesterSaturday
12/7/2024ChesterFriday
13/7/2024ChesterSaturday
27/7/2024ChesterSaturday
4/8/2024ChesterSunday
31/8/2024ChesterSaturday
13/9/2024ChesterFriday
14/9/2024ChesterSaturday
21/9/2024ChesterSaturday

Check out our guide for the full list of UK horse racing calendar fixtures for 2024.

Chester Racecard

The racecards for Chester races will be released the day before the races are set to happen. You can view full racecards in advance, check out  – horse racing cards tomorrow and horse racing cards today. In these, you will get an advance look at all the runners, trainers, form and riders.

You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information. Many like to keep these as souvenirs, especially from major racing events.

Other Events Held at Chester Racecourse

Chester Racecourse isn’t just home to traditional racing – it hosts the Chester Polo Club too! Fixtures vary annually but the course is known for its tradition of a hidden silver cork in each divot-treading session. The person who finds it is awarded a prize.

As a city-centre venue with plenty of space, it’s unsurprising that Chester Racecourse hosts events almost every day of the year. Plenty of such occasions are private, but public events include running races and gigs.

Chester Races

Popular Questions

✅Can you wear jeans to Chester races?

Yes you can wear smart jeans to Chester races.

Smart casual dress is the suggested attire.

For men a collar is required, which can either be a polo shirt or collared shirt. Smart jeans, trousers or chinos are allowed, although no trainers, sportswear or fancy is permitted.

✅Is there a dress code for Chester races?

There is no strict dress code for Chester races.

However smart causal is permitted – no trainers, no sportswear and no fancy dress.

✅Can you take food and drink into Chester races?

Race-goers are allowed to bring food and soft drinks in sealed plastic containers into Chester racecourse – but no alcohol.

✅What is the postcode for Chester racecourse?

The postcode for Chester racecourse is CH1 2LY.

Summary of Chester Racecourse

Chester is a stunning racecourse with a very British feel.

Situated in the centre of the beautiful city of Chester with a unique and tight track, there is not a bad seat in the house.

With great food, hospitality, a fun crowd and a family feel as well, it is well worth a visit.

It hosts great race meetings throughout the summer with the most popular day probably being Ladies Day as part of the May Festival.

It is one of our favourite courses here at British Racecourses and the team love to attend the May meeting every year. A British Racecourse Guide top pick and one of our Top 10 Racecourses in the UK.

Highly recommended.

Whether you need Chester race tips tomorrow, today or Chester races tips Saturday and Sunday- hopefully, this page has helped you to find some!