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Course profile

Chester racecourse guide

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Chester, known as the Roodee, is a very tight left-handed Flat course of just over a mile, widely described as the oldest racecourse still in use in Britain. The Chester guide refreshes after every meeting with favourites, trainers, jockeys and course specialists, and adds the next card once declared.
Last meeting 19 September 2026: 7 winners. Next meeting not yet declared · Results to 19 September 2026 · Refreshed 16 October 2026
Favourites' win rate since 2016
34.6%
Races since 2016
1,068
Course specialists in training
50
34.6%

Favourites won 34.6% of 1,068 races at Chester from 2016 to 2026.Sample: 1,068 races · Window: 2016 to 19 September 2026 · Source: RaceWatch results database (GB and IRE results; figures on this page from 2016), course records, RaceWatch racecards and race calendar

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Chester at a glance by season

Flat20261099789.0044.0%
Flat20251089719.0037.0%
Flat20241069048.5034.9%
Flat2023957958.4027.4%
Flat2022887228.2038.6%
Flat20211038177.9029.1%
Flat2020474098.7048.9%
Flat20191049268.9034.6%
Flat20181039028.8032.0%
Flat20171049238.9031.7%
Flat20161018648.6029.7%

Jumps seasons run May to April (2026/27 = May 2026 to date) Flat seasons are calendar years. Fav win % = races won by the favourite (joint favourites included).

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How favourites fare at Chester

Flat turf34.6%1,06837059.7%Flat
Flat non-handicaps42.2%33214066.2%Flat
Flat handicaps31.3%73623056.8%Flat
Flat all races34.6%1,06837059.7%Flat

Seasons 2016 to date. Groups with fewer than 100 favourites are hidden.

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Top trainers at Chester (five seasons and current)

1Andrew Balding6022.1%27248.2%Flat
2Hugo Palmer5016.8%29833.9%Flat
3Tim Easterby2511.3%22133.5%Flat
4Aidan O'Brien2257.9%3873.7%Flat
5Ralph Beckett1919.0%10037.0%Flat
6Tom Dascombe1817.0%10635.8%Flat
7William Haggas1725.8%6648.5%Flat
8Richard Fahey179.0%18929.1%Flat
9Ian Williams176.4%26623.7%Flat
10Charlie Johnston1614.3%11233.0%Flat
11Roger Varian1524.6%6142.6%Flat
12Jennie Candlish1413.7%10230.4%Flat
13David Evans1212.0%10032.0%Flat
14David Loughnane129.0%13424.6%Flat
15Declan Carroll1117.5%6338.1%Flat
16George Boughey1117.2%6437.5%Flat
17Michael Bell1017.5%5729.8%Flat
18James Owen917.6%5143.1%Flat
19Karl Burke99.9%9129.7%Flat
20Julie Camacho717.9%3941.0%Flat
21Mark Johnston716.3%4339.5%Flat
22Donald McCain711.7%6021.7%Flat
23Richard Hannon68.6%7032.9%Flat
24Brian Ellison511.4%4436.4%Flat
25David O'Meara510.2%4922.4%Flat

Jumps 2021/22 to date, Flat 2021 to date. Min 30 runs at the course, top 25 per code by wins.

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Top jockeys at Chester (five seasons and current)

1Ryan Moore2848.3%5867.2%Flat
2Franny Norton2613.8%18934.9%Flat
3Jason Hart2215.8%13936.0%Flat
4David Probert2215.6%14137.6%Flat
5Jason Watson2015.3%13133.6%Flat
6Oisin Murphy1822.5%8045.0%Flat
7Richard Kingscote1411.5%12238.5%Flat
8Hayley Turner1321.3%6134.4%Flat
9Joe Fanning1221.1%5733.3%Flat
10Rob Hornby1215.4%7832.1%Flat
11Hector Crouch1120.0%5541.8%Flat
12Cieren Fallon1119.6%5637.5%Flat
13Harry Davies1014.7%6833.8%Flat
14Sean Dylan Bowen915.5%5837.9%Flat
15Andrew Mullen913.0%6924.6%Flat
16George Wood912.9%7025.7%Flat
17Sean Kirrane912.3%7324.7%Flat
18Pierre-Louis Jamin910.2%8829.5%Flat
19John Egan910.2%8834.1%Flat
20William Buick815.7%5131.4%Flat
21Zak Wheatley814.3%5628.6%Flat
22Callum Hutchinson721.9%3240.6%Flat
23Jim Crowley720.6%3441.2%Flat
24PJ McDonald717.1%4148.8%Flat
25Tom Marquand715.6%4528.9%Flat

Jumps 2021/22 to date, Flat 2021 to date. Min 30 rides at the course, top 25 per code by wins.

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Chester course specialists still in training

Roman Dragon (GB) silksRoman Dragon (GB)82630.8%7 May 26Hugo Palmer11 Sep 26Flat
Copper Knight (IRE) silksCopper Knight (IRE)61735.3%19 Sep 26Tim Easterby9 Oct 26Flat
Paws For Thought (IRE) silksPaws For Thought (IRE)63218.8%20 Sep 25Donald McCain19 Sep 26Flat
Box To Box (IRE) silksBox To Box (IRE)41233.3%16 Sep 23Hugo Palmer5 Oct 26Flat
Revich (IRE) silksRevich (IRE)41526.7%12 May 23Adrian Wintle27 Sep 26Flat
Spirit Mixer (GB) silksSpirit Mixer (GB)4944.4%13 Sep 25Andrew Balding24 Sep 26Flat
Crazee Icon (GB) silksCrazee Icon (GB)3475.0%12 Sep 26Andrew Balding11 Oct 26Flat
Grey Cuban (GB) silksGrey Cuban (GB)3837.5%11 Jul 25Hugo Palmer10 Oct 26Flat
Patagonia Girl (GB) silksPatagonia Girl (GB)3837.5%19 Sep 26Hugo Palmer9 Oct 26Flat
Fools Rush In (IRE) silksFools Rush In (IRE)31030.0%31 Jul 22Ruth Carr30 Sep 26Flat
Yanifer (GB) silksYanifer (GB)31030.0%30 Aug 25Harriet Bethell22 Sep 26Flat
Tricky Tel (GB) silksTricky Tel (GB)3650.0%13 Jun 26Hugo Palmer19 Sep 26Flat
Rosenpur (GER) silksRosenpur (GER)31225.0%8 May 26Jennie Candlish8 Aug 26Flat
Democracy Dilemma (IRE) silksDemocracy Dilemma (IRE)3475.0%9 May 24Robert Cowell8 Aug 26Flat
Calico Blue (GB) silksCalico Blue (GB)3475.0%25 Jul 26Roger Varian2 Aug 26Flat
Hamish (GB) silksHamish (GB)33100.0%13 Sep 25William Haggas7 Jun 26Flat
Count D'orsay (IRE) silksCount D'orsay (IRE)31717.6%21 Sep 24Tim Easterby27 Oct 25Flat
Balon D'Or (GB) silksBalon D'Or (GB)21118.2%12 Sep 25Simon Dow15 Oct 26Flat
Let's Dream (GB) silksLet's Dream (GB)2825.0%7 May 26Michael Bell14 Oct 26Flat
Al Shabab Storm (GB) silksAl Shabab Storm (GB)2728.6%13 Jul 24Michael Appleby10 Oct 26Flat
Dream Harder (IRE) silksDream Harder (IRE)2922.2%31 May 25Mark Loughnane10 Oct 26Flat
Holguin (GB) silksHolguin (GB)2450.0%12 Jul 25Hamad Al Jehani9 Oct 26Flat
Dance In The Storm (GB) silksDance In The Storm (GB)22100.0%2 Aug 26Andrew Balding9 Oct 26Flat
Oman (IRE) silksOman (IRE)2229.1%10 May 24Tony Carroll8 Oct 26Flat
King's Code (GB) silksKing's Code (GB)2450.0%10 Jul 26David Evans6 Oct 26Flat
Start Me Up (GB) silksStart Me Up (GB)2450.0%27 Jun 26Richard Spencer5 Oct 26Flat
Grey Fable (IRE) silksGrey Fable (IRE)2728.6%27 Jul 24Karl Thornton5 Oct 26Flat
Brighton Boy (IRE) silksBrighton Boy (IRE)2633.3%20 Sep 25Tim Easterby5 Oct 26Flat
Topteam (IRE) silksTopteam (IRE)22100.0%13 Jun 25Andrew Balding3 Oct 26Flat
Evocative Spark (IRE) silksEvocative Spark (IRE)21020.0%15 Sep 23John David Riches30 Sep 26Flat
Aces Wild (IRE) silksAces Wild (IRE)2450.0%25 Jul 26Adrian Wintle29 Sep 26Flat
Maharajas Express (GB) silksMaharajas Express (GB)2922.2%25 Jul 26Ian Williams29 Sep 26Flat
Nibras Gold (IRE) silksNibras Gold (IRE)2366.7%12 Sep 26James Owen27 Sep 26Flat
Miraculous (IRE) silksMiraculous (IRE)2633.3%19 Sep 26Tim Easterby26 Sep 26Flat
Two Tempting (IRE) silksTwo Tempting (IRE)2450.0%9 May 25Jonathan Portman23 Sep 26Flat
Vixey (GB) silksVixey (GB)2633.3%12 Sep 25Simon West22 Sep 26Flat
Station X (GB) silksStation X (GB)22100.0%22 Aug 26Bryan Smart19 Sep 26Flat
Divine Libra (IRE) silksDivine Libra (IRE)2922.2%8 May 24Charles Hills19 Sep 26Flat
Garfield Shadow (IRE) silksGarfield Shadow (IRE)2366.7%27 Jul 24Hamad Al Jehani19 Sep 26Flat
Spoof (GB) silksSpoof (GB)2450.0%26 Jun 21Kevin & Lauren Frost13 Sep 26Flat
Lambourn (IRE) silksLambourn (IRE)22100.0%8 May 26Aidan O'Brien12 Sep 26Flat
Spioradalta (GB) silksSpioradalta (GB)2922.2%13 Sep 25Mark Walford12 Sep 26Flat
Vintage Clarets (GB) silksVintage Clarets (GB)2728.6%21 Sep 24Richard & Peter Fahey11 Sep 26Flat
Percy's Lad (GB) silksPercy's Lad (GB)2825.0%10 May 24Daniel & Claire Kubler5 Sep 26Flat
Flaming Rib (IRE) silksFlaming Rib (IRE)2633.3%6 May 22Adrian McGuinness29 Aug 26Flat
Small Fry (IRE) silksSmall Fry (IRE)22100.0%9 May 25Joseph Patrick O'Brien19 Aug 26Flat
Miami Matrix (IRE) silksMiami Matrix (IRE)2825.0%11 Jul 25Patrick Morris2 Aug 26Flat
Ghaiyya (GB) silksGhaiyya (GB)22100.0%3 Aug 25Charlie Johnston24 Jul 26Flat
Love Is Golden (IRE) silksLove Is Golden (IRE)2450.0%1 Aug 21Paddy Butler13 Jul 26Flat
Fuji Mountain (IRE) silksFuji Mountain (IRE)2450.0%14 Sep 24Declan Carroll16 Jun 26Flat

Horses with 2 or more wins at the course since May 2014 that have run anywhere in the last 365 days. Trainer is the trainer at the latest run.

Going profile at Chester

FlatGood to firm or firmer726.7%7.9033.3%
FlatGood53650.2%8.7035.8%
FlatGood to soft or yielding23822.3%8.6030.3%
FlatSoft17416.3%8.9035.6%
FlatHeavy484.5%8.6041.7%

Seasons 2016 to date. Going grouped into bands; bands with fewer than 100 runners hidden.

Distance profile at Chester

FlatFlat turf1m2½f1718.2037.4%19 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf7½f1639.2031.3%12 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf6f1618.5037.3%19 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf7f1568.9034.6%19 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf5f1388.4035.5%19 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf1m4½f1127.8036.6%12 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf2m448.2025.0%12 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf1m6½f397.9030.8%19 Sep 26
FlatFlat turf1m5½f268.7038.5%7 May 26
FlatFlat turf5½f239.6030.4%10 Jul 26
FlatFlat turf2m2½f2014.6020.0%8 May 26
FlatFlat turf1m3½f157.9046.7%6 May 26

Seasons 2016 to date, advertised distance rounded to the nearest half furlong. Min 100 runners.

Draw summary at Chester (Flat)

5f5613.6%11.4%7.1%Turf
6f7817.9%8.0%5.3%Turf
7f7212.3%7.4%9.2%Turf
7½f7810.5%9.6%8.8%Turf
1m2½f6911.9%11.6%7.3%Turf
1m4½f4411.9%10.6%9.9%Turf

Flat races with 8 or more runners since 1 January 2019; stalls ranked within each race and split into thirds. Stall by stall figures on the draw bias page: /courses/chester/draw-bias

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Run style at Chester

Led22.3%606135Flat
Prominent14.0%2,347328Flat
Midfield8.7%76366Flat
Held up6.3%1,700107Flat

Run style read from the in-running race comment, races 2019 to 2025. Min 100 runs.

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Chester course records

5f1,115Flat0:58.78Kinswoman (GB) silksKinswoman (GB)30 Aug 25Good To FirmWilliam Haggas
5½f1,210Flat1:04.18Top Juggler (IRE) silksTop Juggler (IRE)10 Jul 26GoodSeb Spencer
6f1,337Flat1:11.31Miraculous (IRE) silksMiraculous (IRE)12 Jul 25GoodRoger Varian
7f1,541Flat1:23.65Holguin (GB) silksHolguin (GB)12 Jul 25GoodHamad Al Jehani
7½f1,667Flat1:29.98Yanifer (GB) silksYanifer (GB)30 Aug 25Good To FirmHarriet Bethell
1m2½f2,270Flat2:05.24Passenger (USA) silksPassenger (USA)10 May 24Good To FirmSir Michael Stoute
1m3½f2,495Flat2:23.80Enable (GB) silksEnable (GB)10 May 17GoodJohn Gosden
1m4½f2,703Flat2:33.92L'Eagle Aid (IRE) silksL'Eagle Aid (IRE)12 Jul 25GoodCharlie Johnston
1m5½f2,944Flat2:48.26Jan Brueghel (IRE) silksJan Brueghel (IRE)7 May 26GoodAidan O'Brien
1m6½f3,167Flat3:02.84Duretto (GB) silksDuretto (GB)1 Sep 18GoodAndrew Balding
2m3,496Flat3:21.35The Gadget Man (GB) silksThe Gadget Man (GB)20 Aug 22GoodRalph Beckett
2m2½f4,100Flat3:59.16Zoffee (GB) silksZoffee (GB)10 May 24Good To FirmHugo Palmer

Fastest recorded winning time for each race type and trip (to the nearest half furlong) in the RaceWatch results database. Where rail movements change the exact yardage, the quickest run per yard is shown with its measured distance.

Pattern and graded races run at Chester in the last 12 months

8 May 26MayDeepbridge Huxley StakesGroup 2Flat1m2½fLambourn (IRE) silksLambourn (IRE)Aidan O'BrienRyan Moore6/4F9
6 May 26MayBoodles Chester Vase Stakes (Colts & Geldings)Group 3Flat1m4½fBenvenuto Cellini (IRE) silksBenvenuto Cellini (IRE)Aidan O'BrienRyan Moore2/9F5
7 May 26MayLadbrokes Ormonde StakesGroup 3Flat1m5½fJan Brueghel (IRE) silksJan Brueghel (IRE)Aidan O'BrienRyan Moore4/7F7
6 May 26MayWeatherbys Cheshire Oaks (Fillies)ListedFlat1m3½fAmelia Earhart (IRE) silksAmelia Earhart (IRE)Aidan O'BrienRyan Moore13/85
7 May 26MayBoodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Colts & Geldings)ListedFlat1m2½fConstitution River (FR) silksConstitution River (FR)Aidan O'BrienRyan Moore2/9F5
27 Jun 26JuneQueen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes (Listed)ListedFlat7fBellarchi (IRE) silksBellarchi (IRE)Grant TuerJoanna Mason11/27
11 Jul 26JulyRaymond & Kathleen Corbett Memorial City Plate Stakes (Listed)ListedFlat7fNorthern Champion (IRE) silksNorthern Champion (IRE)Ed WalkerAshley Lewis13/29
2 Aug 26AugustQueensferry Stakes (Listed Race)ListedFlat6fSimplify (IRE) silksSimplify (IRE)Andrew BaldingOisin Murphy6/19
22 Aug 26AugustVirgin Bet Chester Stakes (Listed Race)ListedFlat1m6½fMidak (FR) silksMidak (FR)Ian WilliamsPaul Mulrennan16/18
12 Sep 26SeptemberVirgin Bet Stand Cup Stakes (Listed Race)ListedFlat1m4½fPlage De Havre (GB) silksPlage De Havre (GB)Andrew BaldingCallum Hutchinson3/16

Group, Grade and Listed races in the 12 months to 19 September 2026, with the latest winner.

Latest Chester winners (19 September 2026)

Vault Money EBF Fillies' Novice StakesFlat6fHeavyRhodes Runner (IRE) silksRhodes Runner (IRE)5/1Ralph BeckettJason Watson8
John Smith's Nursery Handicap StakesFlat7fHeavyCrazy Cubana (IRE) silksCrazy Cubana (IRE)16/1Ed WalkerAshley Lewis11
Destination2 Selling StakesFlat1m2½fHeavyPatagonia Girl (GB) silksPatagonia Girl (GB)2/1FHugo PalmerJason Watson9
Kidsbank Chester Handicap StakesFlat6fHeavyMiraculous (IRE) silksMiraculous (IRE)11/4FTim EasterbySean Kirrane10
Halliwell Jones Handicap StakesFlat5fHeavyCopper Knight (IRE) silksCopper Knight (IRE)9/4FTim EasterbySean Kirrane11
Style Joinery Handicap StakesFlat7fHeavyAndesite (GB) silksAndesite (GB)11/2Roger FellDarragh Keenan8
Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap StakesFlat1m6½fHeavyCarthusian (IRE) silksCarthusian (IRE)9/1Jennie CandlishLiam Wright10

Winners at the most recent meeting in the results database.

Chester runners on the day

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How tight is the Roodee's mile-long left-handed loop?

Chester is a left-handed circuit of just over a mile, so runners are on the turn almost all the way and the straight is short.

Is the Chester Vase still a useful Derby trial?

The Chester Vase, run at the May Festival, has long been treated as a Derby trial because it is run over a similar trip on a turning track. FormLines+ tracks how Vase runners perform afterwards.

Does the draw matter at Chester?

Stall by stall figures sit on the draw bias page.

How do front runners and hold-up horses fare at Chester?

The Chester run style table groups runners as led, prominent, midfield or held up from in-running comments, 2019 to 2025, with win %

Which trainers and jockeys have the best strike rate at Chester?

Andrew Balding leads the Chester trainers since 2021 with 60 winners. Trainer and jockey tables show runs, win %, place %

How often do favourites win at Chester?

The favourites table splits the record by race type and the season table tracks it year by year.

Questions people ask

Is Chester left-handed?

Yes, Chester is a left-handed Flat course of just over a mile. The track bends almost all the way round, which is why the draw and early position matter so much.

What races are run at the Chester May Festival?

The Chester May Festival includes the Chester Cup, a long-distance handicap, and the Chester Vase, a Derby trial. The meeting opens the Chester season each May.

How often do favourites win at Chester?

The figure updates after every meeting and is split by race type on the page.

Who is the leading trainer at Chester?

Andrew Balding has trained the most winners at Chester since 2021, with 60. The trainer table ranks the top 25 by wins with win %

When did Chester last race?

Chester last raced on 19 September 2026, and every winner from that card is listed on the page. The next meeting appears in the upcoming table once it reaches the racecards.

Is there a draw bias at Chester?

The Chester draw summary compares low, middle and high stalls for Flat races of eight or more runners since 2019, by trip.

What kind of racing is there at Chester?

Chester is a racecourse in Great Britain that stages Flat racing, on turf.

Who is the top trainer at Chester?

Over the last five seasons plus the current one, the leading trainer at Chester by winners is Andrew Balding on the Flat (60 winners from 272 runners).

Who is the top jockey at Chester?

Over the last five seasons plus the current one, the leading jockey at Chester by winners is Ryan Moore on the Flat (28 winners from 58 rides).

How big are the fields at Chester?

Chester staged 1,068 races from 2016 to 19 September 2026, with an average field of 8.6 runners.

How many big races are run at Chester?

Chester staged 10 Group, Grade or Listed races in the 12 months to 19 September 2026.

More free data

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