Chester Racecourse & Betting Review: Popular Events, Great Offers and Facts

The table above offers a brief snapshot of what you can expect to find in regard to new-player welcome bonuses, bet types, special event promotions and payout prices at what we think are some of the better betting sites for wagering on races. In the rest of the review we will be providing some historical insights, some technical information relating to the course itself, and also sharing some fun facts and figures! Keep reading the rest of the article for our complete report on the Chester Racecourse.

The Turf Itself

Given its modest length of one mile and one furlong, Chester Racecourse can be a difficult one to get around. It’s oval-shaped, left-handed and extremely sharp; it’s on the turn pretty much all the way around and has a final run-in of a little over two furlongs. For larger, galloping competitors it makes for an extremely tough challenge. Front runners tend to do better here as those that fade too far toward the back realise pretty quickly that there aren’t too many opportunities to make up lost ground on the way round – there are only two real opportunities to overtake: on the home straight or after the winner’s post in the races that exceed one circuit. It’s worth keeping in mind that a low draw is advantageous at Chester; especially in middle-stance races where there are often a lot of runners.

Most Popular Chester Horse Racing Events

There are a number of popular Chester horse racing events held throughout the year. The most important, however, is held in May and is known as the Chester May Festival. It is a three-day-long festival which features high-profile events such as the historic Chester Cup; a long distance race of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards reserved for horses aged four and above – and offers a generous £150,000 purse – as well as a handicap race of two-and-a-quarter miles. There are also a number of classic trial races which take place, including the Chester Vase, a Group 3 race for three-year-old colts and geldings; the Dee Stakes, a listed flat race for three-year-olds; and the Cheshire Oaks, which is reserved for three-year-old-fillies. Furthermore, there are a number of races for slightly more mature horses. These are the Huxley Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes.

Some Interesting Facts

Chester horse racing track is owned by a private LLC company based in the local area, which also owns the Bangor on Dee course in Wales as well as several other bars, restaurants and hotels in the Cheshire area. An estimated 300,000 visitors flock to the racecourse every year, with a recent study reporting that the company generates a staggering £54.1 million per year for the local economy and accounts for 24% of the areas total employment rate in the recreation sector.

Racecourse Information:
First Opened:	1593	Chester Racecourse logo The Grandstand at Chester Racecourse
Max. Race Distance:	2m 2f 147y
Surface:	Turf
Event:	Chester May Festival
Average Temperature:	2°/21°
Racecourse Capacity:	4000

Did you know that the Chester Racecourse is the first UK venue to its own in-house gaming division? Rather than on-site tote betting being handled by the Tote company, as it was until 2012,betting is handled by Chester Bet.

Quite unsurprisingly, the track boasts an impressive roll of honour. Some true legends have competed here over the years, including Light Shift, an American-bred mare best known for winning the 2007 Epsom Oaks; Noble Mission – brother of the illustrious Frankel – that won an impressive eight major championships in his career; and Kris Kin, a US-bred English-trained stallion that won the Dee Stakes and the Epsom Derby in 2003.

Chester Racecourse: The Story so Far

As briefly mentioned earlier, the racecourse has a history which dates back to the mid-1600’s – a record feat by any standard – although Chester horse racing betting didn’t take off until much later. There have been a number of unfortunate events that have interrupted the racing program over the years – civil war and puritanism in the 1800s and strikes and flooding caused by unexpected torrential rain in the 20th century, for instance – but for the most part, it has been a consistent, staple feature of flat horse racing in the UK from the outset.

As well as racing, the horse racing track has also been host many popular public events, including the Royal Agricultural Show of 1858 and the Buffalo Bill and Geronimo Wild West Show of 1903. More recently, it has hosted the Food, Drink & Lifestyle Festival over Easter and the widely-renowned Chester Rocks music festival, which takes place in the summer. It has been awarded the Gold Standard Award by the Racehorse Owners Association numerous times as well as the Large Racecourse of the Year Award. Read more fantastic reviews at our horse racing tracks review hub.