Chelmsford City betting with William Hill

Chelmsford City has quickly established itself as one of the leading all-weather tracks in Britain. The racing surface at a floodlit Chelmsford is Polytrack, the same surface as that at Lingfield and Kempton.

It became the first new racecourse in Britain for 81 years when it opened in May 2008, at which point it was known as Great Leighs.

Having fallen into administration soon after opening, the lights went out at the Essex track until 2015, when it reopened under the name Chelmsford City Racecourse.

Its geographical link to Newmarket (only around 50 miles away) means the track is a popular venue for runners from big Newmarket yards, especially as the racing surface has received widespread recognition.

The flat, sweeping bends and wide straight mean the track is regarded as the fairest of all the all-weather circuits in the country.

In 2018 Chelmsford City was granted permission from the BHA to build a Flat track on the inside of the all-weather course.

Chelmsford City betting – the big meetings/races

The biggest race staged at Chelmsford City is the Queen Charlotte Fillies’ Stakes, a Listed race for fillies’ and mares that takes place in June.

The race commemorates the Queen Charlotte Stakes, a race run at Chelmsford Racecourse in the 18th and 19th centuries and was brought back in 2018.

The inaugural running of the 7f contest won by the Charlie Fellows-trained Carolinae, a 10/1 chance, who prevailed by just a neck under Stevie Donohoe.

William Hill will have prices on the Queen Charlotte Stakes on their Chelmsford City betting pages in the build-up to the contest.

The track staged its first £100,000 race in September of 2018 when Cenotaph powered to a one-and-a-quarter length victory in the inaugural running of the Chelmsford City Cup. Jeremy Noseda and Ryan Moore teamed up to pocket a first prize of £64,690 in the 7f event.

From May 2019, Chelmsford City will stage a new conditions' contest called the Cardinal Stakes, which serves as the last of seven races in the European Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

This is a series of races in which horses earn points needed to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. The contest had a purse of £60,000 in 2019.

Chelmsford City odds – impact on ante-post betting for future races

There are a lot of really good novice races staged at Chelmsford throughout the season and that means potentially smart youngsters come along pretty regularly.

The John Gosden-trained Dubai Warrior absolutely bolted up on his debut at Chelmsford City and such was the impression he created that he was immediately given a 25/1 quote for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

He was later entered in the Dante Stakes at York and the Investec Derby, for which he was given an ante-post price of 12/1 by William Hill.

Gosden is not afraid of sending his big guns down the road to Chelmsford and his runners are always popular in William Hill’s Chelmsford City betting.

Carolinae, winner of the 2018 Queen Charlotte Stakes, went on to run in the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood, another 7f contest for fillies and an obvious step up the ladder from the Listed contest at Chelmsford City.

Aidan O’Brien sent his first runners to Chelmsford in April 2019 with U S S Michigan and Antilles both contesting the Cardinal Conditions Stakes, with the intention of earning a spot at the Kentucky Derby on 4^th May.

Antilles fared the better of the pair, finishing second to the Andrew Balding-trained Bye Bye Hong Kong despite going off an unconsidered 33/1 chance. Godolphin’s Dark Vision, himself a 2,000 Guineas entry, finished third.

The Cardinal Stakes looks like a race that could grow into a very informative contest and one that will attract horses with big-race entries.

Future Easter Classic winner Tryster, who went on to win at Group 1 level in Dubai, and Coventry Stakes winner Buratino both had winning form at Chelmsford City.

Chelmsford City course characteristics

Chelmsford is a left-handed oval-shaped Polytrack course that is just over a mile in circumference. It has large sweeping bends and a 2f home straight that measures 22 metres in width.

Over £600,000 has been spent on upgrading the racing surface, including an are-wax of the Polytrack to enhance its binding properties.

A chute start at the 7f point was added in 2018, as well as a replenishment of fibre through the whole track.

Average field sizes have increased year on year as a result of these improvements. The track was awarded a record 63 fixtures in 2018, while also increasing the quality of horse it attracts to the course.

The racetrack is so fair in nature that very few horses are inconvenienced by its layout. It’s widely regarded as one of the finest all-weather racing venues anywhere in the world.

Chelmsford City betting tips

The lack of any tangible track bias at Chelmsford City means very few horses don’t operate effectively.

There is, however, an advantage in being drawn low in races over 1m4f and that is because the runners hit a left-hand turn after just a furlong, so those drawn high can be marooned out wide if not getting across or tucking in very early on.

There’s a long-standing notion that horses find it difficult to come from off the pace at Chelmsford City and that would certainly be the case when the track is riding deeper (slower) than normal.

Slow times will indicate how the track was or is riding, and if that’s the case, try and focus on front runners or prominent racers when assessing William Hill’s Chelmsford City betting.

Another factor working in favour of those horses that like to race prominently is they tend to avoid much of the kickback, which can be quite substantial at Chelmsford City.

Chelmsford City racecourse – how to get there

Chelmsford City Racecourse is situated in the town of Great Leighs, five miles north of Chelmsford in Essex.

The track is easily accessible via the A131, A120 and M11 and has ample parking, the entrance to which is off the A131 bypass. Parking is allocated on a first come, first served basis.

There’s a regular train service from Liverpool Street Station to Chelmsford and Braintree.

The No 70 and 352 bus services run from Chelmsford Bus Station through Great Leighs.

Boost your Chelmsford City betting experience

For more Chelmsford City betting news, visit news.williamhill.com and be sure to check out William Hill promotions where you can find the best Chelmsford City odds throughout the year.