Chester Racecards

Chester Racecourse Guide

About

Chester's Roodee is the oldest and tightest racecourse in Britain, a unique sharp left-hander where course knowledge and the right draw count for more than almost anywhere else.

The Track & Course

It is an almost circular circuit of just over a mile round with a run-in of barely two furlongs, so runners are on the turn for most of the race. A low draw is a major advantage, especially in big fields, and front-runners and handy, well-drawn types dominate while hold-up horses and big galloping sorts struggle to find room. Pace and a tactically sharp jockey are vital.

Going & Ground

The ground is usually good to good to soft and well-watered, but the sharp, turning shape of the track matters more than the going. Closers who need a stiff, galloping test are rarely suited.

Key Races

The early-May festival is the centrepiece, featuring the Chester Cup, the Chester Vase (a Derby trial) and the Ormonde Stakes, a meeting long regarded as a key staging post on the road to Epsom.