UK Racecourse · North West
Chester Racecourse
Chester, Cheshire
Photo credit: “Roodee Racecourse” by Jeff Buck, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
The oldest racecourse in England
Chester is the oldest racecourse still in operation in England, with racing on the Roodee dating back to 1539. The tiny, circular left-handed track sits right beside the city walls, and its May Festival is one of the most prestigious early-season flat meetings in the calendar.
Betting at Chester
Track characteristics, draw bias and the angles that matter when you are pricing up a race at Chester, plus our model’s own read of the market.
Chester at a glance
Chester Guides & Articles
Everything written about Chester, grouped by what you came for.
Start here
1The full guide to the course, if you only read one thing.
Going racing
1Tickets, getting there, what to wear and what the day is like.
Racing and betting
1How the track rides, the angles that matter, and where to bet.
History and legends
2How the course got here, and the horses that made its name.
- The History of Chester RacecourseFrom medieval origins on the Roodee to England's oldest racecourse: nearly 500 years of racing at Chester.
- Enable at Chester: The Complete StoryHow Enable's Cheshire Oaks victory at Chester in 2017 launched one of the greatest careers in modern British flat racing history.
The big races
3The days the course is known for, and who has won them.
- Chester Cup Day at Chester: The Complete GuideYour complete guide to Chester Cup Day: the Thursday of Chester's May Festival, headlined by the Chester Cup staying handicap, the Dee Stakes Derby trial, and the Cheshire Oaks. Racing inside the Roman walls, on the tightest major track in Britain.
- The Chester Cup: Complete GuideEverything you need to know about the Chester Cup — one of the oldest and most prestigious handicaps in flat racing.
- Chester May Festival: Complete GuideYour complete guide to the Chester May Festival — three days of top-quality flat racing at England's oldest racecourse.
Photos on this page are used under Creative Commons licences. Titles, sources and licence links for each one are on our image credits page.
Latest news tagged “Chester”
Race previews, results and analysis from our Racing News feed that mention Chester.
Chester Cup 2026: Tips, Runners & a Record 86 Entries
race preview2026-05-09Chester Cup 2026 Result: A Piece Of Heaven Wins for Joseph O'Brien
race result2026-05-09
Huxley Stakes 2026 Preview: Lambourn the Coolmore Pick
race preview2026-05-09Huxley Stakes 2026 Result: Lambourn Wins, Coolmore Sweep Five-from-Five
race result2026-05-09
Ormonde Stakes 2026 Preview: Jan Brueghel and the Stoute Void
race preview2026-05-08Ormonde Stakes 2026 Result: Jan Brueghel Wins, Coronation Cup On
race result2026-05-08
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