Chester
Racecourse guide: course statistics, top jockeys and trainers, and recent winners.
Chester Course Guide and Statistics
The course at Chester
Chester, known as the Roodee, is a flat, left-handed course of just over a mile around, the shortest racecourse circuit in Britain. Runners are almost always on the turn, and the home straight is very short. Racing has been staged here since the 16th century, making it one of the oldest racecourses still in use.
Betting at Chester
The draw is one of the biggest factors in British racing at Chester: horses drawn low can sit close to the inside rail and save ground on the constant turns, especially over sprint trips. Horses drawn wide need early speed to get over, or they cover much more ground. Front-runners and handy, nimble horses do best, and course winners are always worth noting.
Key races and meetings
- The May Festival: Chester Cup, Chester Vase, Dee Stakes, Ormonde Stakes
- Summer evening and Saturday meetings
Chester by the numbers
Equine Tips Intel has recorded 109 races across 15 meetings at Chester since 6 May 2026, 57 of them with full official results.
All of the racing we hold here is Flat racing, run on a turf surface.
The most common going is Good (60% of races) and the most frequently run distance is 6f.
Fields average 8.6 runners. Favourites have won 27 of 57 races (47.4%), and the median winning starting price is 4.33.
Race types
- Flat109 races · 100%
Going
- Good65 races · 60%
- Good To Soft26 races · 24%
- Soft11 races · 10%
- Heavy7 races · 6%
Common distances
- 6f20 races · 18%
- 7f20 races · 18%
- 1m2½f17 races · 16%
- 7½f14 races · 13%
- 5f12 races · 11%
- 1m4½f11 races · 10%
Top jockeys at Chester
| Jockey | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oisin Murphy | 4 | 6 | 66.7% |
| Hector Crouch | 4 | 12 | 33.3% |
| Jason Watson | 4 | 19 | 21.1% |
| Callum Hutchinson | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Ashley Lewis | 3 | 10 | 30% |
Top trainers at Chester
| Trainer | Wins | Runs | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Balding | 7 | 22 | 31.8% |
| Ian Williams | 6 | 25 | 24% |
| Jennie Candlish | 4 | 23 | 17.4% |
| Ed Walker | 3 | 7 | 42.9% |
| Ralph Beckett | 3 | 13 | 23.1% |
Our model at Chester
Every settled primary selection our machine learning model has made at Chester, to a 1 unit level stake (Betfair SP less 5% commission where available, otherwise SP). Past results do not guarantee future returns.
Feature races at Chester
- Virgin Bet Stand Cup Stakes (Listed Race)Listed · 12 Sept
- Virgin Bet Chester Stakes (Listed Race)Listed · 22 Aug
- Queensferry Stakes (Listed Race)Listed · 2 Aug
- Raymond & Kathleen Corbett Memorial City Plate Stakes (Listed)Listed · 11 Jul
- Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes (Listed)Listed · 27 Jun
- Deepbridge Huxley Stakes (Group 2)Group 2 · 8 May
- Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Listed Race) (Colts & Geldings)Listed · 7 May
- Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes (Group 3)Group 3 · 7 May
- Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks (Listed Race) (Fillies)Listed · 6 May
- Boodles Chester Vase Stakes (Group 3) (Colts & Geldings)Group 3 · 6 May
Recent winners at Chester
| Date | Winner | SP | Jockey / Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sept | Andesite (GB)Style Joinery Handicap Stakes | 11/2 | Darragh Keenan / Roger Fell |
| 19 Sept | Crazy Cubana (IRE)John Smith's Nursery Handicap Stakes | 16/1 | Ashley Lewis / Ed Walker |
| 19 Sept | Miraculous (IRE)Kidsbank Chester Handicap Stakes | 11/4F | Sean Kirrane / Tim Easterby |
| 19 Sept | Carthusian (IRE)Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap Stakes | 9/1 | Liam Wright / Jennie Candlish |
| 19 Sept | Rhodes Runner (IRE)Vault Money Ebf Fillies' Novice Stakes (gbb Race) | 5/1 | Jason Watson / Ralph Beckett |
| 19 Sept | Patagonia Girl (GB)Destination2 Selling Stakes | 2/1F | Jason Watson / Hugo Palmer |
| 19 Sept | Copper Knight (IRE)Halliwell Jones Handicap Stakes | 9/4F | Sean Kirrane / Tim Easterby |
| 12 Sept | Shafdar (IRE)Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Stakes (gbbplus Race) | 6/4F | Cieren Fallon / Ian Williams |
| 12 Sept | This Moment (IRE)H.r. Owen Lotus Manchester Nursery Handicap Stakes | 9/4F | Grace McEntee / George Boughey |
| 12 Sept | Crazee Icon (GB)Lee Martin 60th Birthday Celebration Handicap Stakes (Div II) | 9/4F | Callum Hutchinson / Andrew Balding |
No racing at Chester today. See today's meetings