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
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Chester at a glance by season
| Flat | 2026 | 109 | 978 | 9.00 | |
| Flat | 2025 | 108 | 971 | 9.00 | |
| Flat | 2024 | 106 | 904 | 8.50 | |
| Flat | 2023 | 95 | 795 | 8.40 | |
| Flat | 2022 | 88 | 722 | 8.20 | |
| Flat | 2021 | 103 | 817 | 7.90 | |
| Flat | 2020 | 47 | 409 | 8.70 | |
| Flat | 2019 | 104 | 926 | 8.90 | |
| Flat | 2018 | 103 | 902 | 8.80 | |
| Flat | 2017 | 104 | 923 | 8.90 | |
| Flat | 2016 | 101 | 864 | 8.60 |
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).
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
How favourites fare at Chester
| Flat turf | 1,068 | 370 | Flat | ||
| Flat non-handicaps | 332 | 140 | Flat | ||
| Flat handicaps | 736 | 230 | Flat | ||
| Flat all races | 1,068 | 370 | Flat |
Seasons 2016 to date. Groups with fewer than 100 favourites are hidden.
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Top trainers at Chester (five seasons and current)
| 1 | Andrew Balding | 60 | 272 | Flat | ||
| 2 | Hugo Palmer | 50 | 298 | Flat | ||
| 3 | Tim Easterby | 25 | 221 | Flat | ||
| 4 | Aidan O'Brien | 22 | 38 | Flat | ||
| 5 | Ralph Beckett | 19 | 100 | Flat | ||
| 6 | Tom Dascombe | 18 | 106 | Flat | ||
| 7 | William Haggas | 17 | 66 | Flat | ||
| 8 | Richard Fahey | 17 | 189 | Flat | ||
| 9 | Ian Williams | 17 | 266 | Flat | ||
| 10 | Charlie Johnston | 16 | 112 | Flat | ||
| 11 | Roger Varian | 15 | 61 | Flat | ||
| 12 | Jennie Candlish | 14 | 102 | Flat | ||
| 13 | David Evans | 12 | 100 | Flat | ||
| 14 | David Loughnane | 12 | 134 | Flat | ||
| 15 | Declan Carroll | 11 | 63 | Flat | ||
| 16 | George Boughey | 11 | 64 | Flat | ||
| 17 | Michael Bell | 10 | 57 | Flat | ||
| 18 | James Owen | 9 | 51 | Flat | ||
| 19 | Karl Burke | 9 | 91 | Flat | ||
| 20 | Julie Camacho | 7 | 39 | Flat | ||
| 21 | Mark Johnston | 7 | 43 | Flat | ||
| 22 | Donald McCain | 7 | 60 | Flat | ||
| 23 | Richard Hannon | 6 | 70 | Flat | ||
| 24 | Brian Ellison | 5 | 44 | Flat | ||
| 25 | David O'Meara | 5 | 49 | Flat |
Jumps 2021/22 to date, Flat 2021 to date. Min 30 runs at the course, top 25 per code by wins.
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Top jockeys at Chester (five seasons and current)
| 1 | Ryan Moore | 28 | 58 | Flat | ||
| 2 | Franny Norton | 26 | 189 | Flat | ||
| 3 | Jason Hart | 22 | 139 | Flat | ||
| 4 | David Probert | 22 | 141 | Flat | ||
| 5 | Jason Watson | 20 | 131 | Flat | ||
| 6 | Oisin Murphy | 18 | 80 | Flat | ||
| 7 | Richard Kingscote | 14 | 122 | Flat | ||
| 8 | Hayley Turner | 13 | 61 | Flat | ||
| 9 | Joe Fanning | 12 | 57 | Flat | ||
| 10 | Rob Hornby | 12 | 78 | Flat | ||
| 11 | Hector Crouch | 11 | 55 | Flat | ||
| 12 | Cieren Fallon | 11 | 56 | Flat | ||
| 13 | Harry Davies | 10 | 68 | Flat | ||
| 14 | Sean Dylan Bowen | 9 | 58 | Flat | ||
| 15 | Andrew Mullen | 9 | 69 | Flat | ||
| 16 | George Wood | 9 | 70 | Flat | ||
| 17 | Sean Kirrane | 9 | 73 | Flat | ||
| 18 | Pierre-Louis Jamin | 9 | 88 | Flat | ||
| 19 | John Egan | 9 | 88 | Flat | ||
| 20 | William Buick | 8 | 51 | Flat | ||
| 21 | Zak Wheatley | 8 | 56 | Flat | ||
| 22 | Callum Hutchinson | 7 | 32 | Flat | ||
| 23 | Jim Crowley | 7 | 34 | Flat | ||
| 24 | PJ McDonald | 7 | 41 | Flat | ||
| 25 | Tom Marquand | 7 | 45 | Flat |
Jumps 2021/22 to date, Flat 2021 to date. Min 30 rides at the course, top 25 per code by wins.
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Chester course specialists still in training
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
| Flat | Good to firm or firmer | 72 | 7.90 | ||
| Flat | Good | 536 | 8.70 | ||
| Flat | Good to soft or yielding | 238 | 8.60 | ||
| Flat | Soft | 174 | 8.90 | ||
| Flat | Heavy | 48 | 8.60 |
Seasons 2016 to date. Going grouped into bands; bands with fewer than 100 runners hidden.
Distance profile at Chester
| Flat | Flat turf | 1m2½f | 171 | 8.20 | 19 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 7½f | 163 | 9.20 | 12 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 6f | 161 | 8.50 | 19 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 7f | 156 | 8.90 | 19 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 5f | 138 | 8.40 | 19 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 1m4½f | 112 | 7.80 | 12 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 2m | 44 | 8.20 | 12 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 1m6½f | 39 | 7.90 | 19 Sep 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 1m5½f | 26 | 8.70 | 7 May 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 5½f | 23 | 9.60 | 10 Jul 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 2m2½f | 20 | 14.60 | 8 May 26 | |
| Flat | Flat turf | 1m3½f | 15 | 7.90 | 6 May 26 |
Seasons 2016 to date, advertised distance rounded to the nearest half furlong. Min 100 runners.
Draw summary at Chester (Flat)
| 5f | 56 | Turf | |||
| 6f | 78 | Turf | |||
| 7f | 72 | Turf | |||
| 7½f | 78 | Turf | |||
| 1m2½f | 69 | Turf | |||
| 1m4½f | 44 | 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
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Run style at Chester
| Led | 606 | 135 | Flat | |
| Prominent | 2,347 | 328 | Flat | |
| Midfield | 763 | 66 | Flat | |
| Held up | 1,700 | 107 | Flat |
Run style read from the in-running race comment, races 2019 to 2025. Min 100 runs.
Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Chester course records
| 5f | 1,115 | Flat | 0:58.78 | 30 Aug 25 | Good To Firm | William Haggas | |
| 5½f | 1,210 | Flat | 1:04.18 | 10 Jul 26 | Good | Seb Spencer | |
| 6f | 1,337 | Flat | 1:11.31 | 12 Jul 25 | Good | Roger Varian | |
| 7f | 1,541 | Flat | 1:23.65 | 12 Jul 25 | Good | Hamad Al Jehani | |
| 7½f | 1,667 | Flat | 1:29.98 | 30 Aug 25 | Good To Firm | Harriet Bethell | |
| 1m2½f | 2,270 | Flat | 2:05.24 | 10 May 24 | Good To Firm | Sir Michael Stoute | |
| 1m3½f | 2,495 | Flat | 2:23.80 | 10 May 17 | Good | John Gosden | |
| 1m4½f | 2,703 | Flat | 2:33.92 | 12 Jul 25 | Good | Charlie Johnston | |
| 1m5½f | 2,944 | Flat | 2:48.26 | 7 May 26 | Good | Aidan O'Brien | |
| 1m6½f | 3,167 | Flat | 3:02.84 | 1 Sep 18 | Good | Andrew Balding | |
| 2m | 3,496 | Flat | 3:21.35 | 20 Aug 22 | Good | Ralph Beckett | |
| 2m2½f | 4,100 | Flat | 3:59.16 | 10 May 24 | Good To Firm | Hugo 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 26 | May | Deepbridge Huxley Stakes | Group 2 | Flat | 1m2½f | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 6/4F | 9 | |
| 6 May 26 | May | Boodles Chester Vase Stakes (Colts & Geldings) | Group 3 | Flat | 1m4½f | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 2/9F | 5 | |
| 7 May 26 | May | Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes | Group 3 | Flat | 1m5½f | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 4/7F | 7 | |
| 6 May 26 | May | Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks (Fillies) | Listed | Flat | 1m3½f | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 13/8 | 5 | |
| 7 May 26 | May | Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Colts & Geldings) | Listed | Flat | 1m2½f | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 2/9F | 5 | |
| 27 Jun 26 | June | Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes (Listed) | Listed | Flat | 7f | Grant Tuer | Joanna Mason | 11/2 | 7 | |
| 11 Jul 26 | July | Raymond & Kathleen Corbett Memorial City Plate Stakes (Listed) | Listed | Flat | 7f | Ed Walker | Ashley Lewis | 13/2 | 9 | |
| 2 Aug 26 | August | Queensferry Stakes (Listed Race) | Listed | Flat | 6f | Andrew Balding | Oisin Murphy | 6/1 | 9 | |
| 22 Aug 26 | August | Virgin Bet Chester Stakes (Listed Race) | Listed | Flat | 1m6½f | Ian Williams | Paul Mulrennan | 16/1 | 8 | |
| 12 Sep 26 | September | Virgin Bet Stand Cup Stakes (Listed Race) | Listed | Flat | 1m4½f | Andrew Balding | Callum Hutchinson | 3/1 | 6 |
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 Stakes | Flat | 6f | Heavy | 5/1 | Ralph Beckett | Jason Watson | 8 | |
| John Smith's Nursery Handicap Stakes | Flat | 7f | Heavy | 16/1 | Ed Walker | Ashley Lewis | 11 | |
| Destination2 Selling Stakes | Flat | 1m2½f | Heavy | 2/1F | Hugo Palmer | Jason Watson | 9 | |
| Kidsbank Chester Handicap Stakes | Flat | 6f | Heavy | 11/4F | Tim Easterby | Sean Kirrane | 10 | |
| Halliwell Jones Handicap Stakes | Flat | 5f | Heavy | 9/4F | Tim Easterby | Sean Kirrane | 11 | |
| Style Joinery Handicap Stakes | Flat | 7f | Heavy | 11/2 | Roger Fell | Darragh Keenan | 8 | |
| Lord Mayor's Spooktacular Fireworks Apprentice Handicap Stakes | Flat | 1m6½f | Heavy | 9/1 | Jennie Candlish | Liam Wright | 10 |
Winners at the most recent meeting in the results database.
Chester runners on the day
Members get the Chester racecard with RWS scores on every runner, market moves across 20+ bookmakers, horse, trainer and jockey profiles, and Tracker+ to follow course specialists.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
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
Go deeper before the next race.
Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.
- 14racecard tabs per race
- 20+bookmaker prices side by side
- Trackeralerts when your horses are declared
30-day free trial
£0today
Start my 30-day free trialBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.
£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.
Updated