Chester betting with William Hill

Betting at Chester – The Big Meetings

The highlight of the racing year is the Chester May Festival, a three-day meeting for which prize money exceeded £1 million for the first time in 2018. Nearly 60,000 racegoers attended for the popular mixture of Group races, Classic trials and competitive handicaps. The Chester Summer Festival takes place at the end of June with well-attended meetings staged in July and September.

Chester Betting – The Big Races

The most popular betting race of the May meeting is the Chester Cup, a handicap over two and a quarter miles. The race was first run in 1824 and is one of the most valuable staying handicaps of the turf season.

The 10-furlong Huxley Stakes is the only Grade 2 race held at the course. The Group 3 Ormonde Stakes over one mile and five furlongs usually features some high class horses but the Classic trials for three-year-olds attract most of the media attention. The May meeting falls between the 2000 Guineas and the Derby when the big stables are putting their Classic prospects to the test. The Chester Vase, Dee Stakes and Cheshire Oaks have regularly attracted future Classic winners in the past.

You can get all the latest Chester odds and Chester betting tips at news.williamhill.com. The site also provides exclusive previews and the latest running and riding plans for the big races.

Chester Course Characteristics

Chester is one of the sharpest tracks in the country with a left-handed circuit of just over a mile. The horses are constantly on the turn and there is a short run-in up the home straight. A fast start is essential and there is a distinct advantage in being drawn low, particularly in sprint races. The draw bias is usually reflected in the Chester betting odds. The inside draw is less of an advantage in soft going when the ground can get churned up towards the rail.

Chester Betting Tips

With Chester being such a unique racecourse, previous course form can be an advantage. The phrase “horses for courses” is probably more applicable at Chester than at any other track in Britain. Smaller, more compact horses are generally more at home on these tight turns than long-striding staying horses. It is worth noting horses that have shown plenty of early speed in their previous races. Chester is notorious for being a difficult course at which to make up late ground.

One of the most-often repeated Chester tips is that a low draw is a big advantage in sprint races. Analysis reveals that this is especially so in five furlong races but it is also a factor in six and seven furlong races. When assessing the form for the Chester Cup, take note of runners with recent form over hurdles or on the all-weather. Trainers can be creatures of habit, so horses that have run well in the race the previous year are always worth a second look.

Chester Racecourse - How to get there

Chester is one of the most picturesque racecourses in Britain and is situated on the banks of the River Dee. The racecourse is overlooked by the famous Roman walls and is sign-posted on all major routes into the city during race meetings. There are frequent train services running from Liverpool and Manchester with conveniently situated park and ride venues across the city.

Chester Horse Racing History

Chester is the oldest surviving racecourse in England and can be traced as far back as the early sixteenth century. It is sometimes referred to as “The Roodee”, a name derived from the original site once known as the Island of the Cross or “Rood Eye”.

The first recorded race at Chester was in 1539 with the popular May Festival being introduced in 1766. The original Grandstand was destroyed by fire in 1985 but the course has benefitted from considerable improvements in recent years, notably the paddock underpass.

Famous Chester Races and Racehorses

There has never been a more popular winner in the Chester Cup betting than Sea Pigeon, successful in 1977 and 1978 for Peter Easterby and Mark Birch. He went on to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1980 and 1981, becoming the oldest winner of the race since 1951 at the age of eleven. Rainbow High was successful in 1999 and 2001 for track specialist Barry Hills. He also trained Arapahos (1980) and Daraahem (2009) to win the Cup while his other victories at the meeting included seven Cheshire Oaks and eleven Dee Stakes winners.

Trip To Paris landed the Chester Cup odds in 2015 and went on to win the Ascot Gold Cup in the same season. In recent years, National Hunt trainers have enjoyed plenty of success in this race with horses fit from a recent race over hurdles. David Pipe, Donald McCain and Nicky Henderson all feature on the roll of honour.

The Chester Vase was first run in 1907 and resulted in a dead-heat between Sancy and Earlston. The prize money was divided and the owner of Sancy was presented with the Vase after the toss of a coin. The race has long been established as a pointer for the Epsom Derby betting.

In 1981 the Vase was won by Shergar, owned by His Highness The Aga Khan, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn. Stoute sent the Aga Khan’s colt to Chester in order to get experience of a left-hand track. Swinburn took him to the front with half a mile to go and drew right away from his rivals to win by 12 lengths. He employed virtually the same tactics at Epsom and Shergar romped to a record 10 lengths victory. Sadly, the horse is best remembered for his kidnapping from Ballymany Stud in 1983 and how he met his tragic end remains a mystery.

Henbit had won the Vase in 1980 before winning the Derby but it was not until Ruler Of The World in 2013 that another colt completed the double. Quest For Fame (1990) and Wings Of Eagles (2017) were both beaten in the Vase but won at Epsom. Other notable winners include subsequent St Leger betting winners Toulon (1991) and Millenary (2000). The Dee Stakes was won by Epsom Derby winners Oath (1999) and Kris Kin (2003) as well as Irish Derby winner Sir Harry Lewis (1987).

The Cheshire Oaks was won by Sir Henry Cecil’s Light Shift in 2007 and John Gosden’s Enable 2017. Both fillies went on to the win fillies’ Classic at Epsom the following month. 2018 runner-up Forever Together reversed the form with stable companion Magic Wand at Epsom. Both fillies were trained by Aidan O’Brien who has a formidable record in the Classic trials betting at Chester.

Famous winners of the Ormonde Stakes include Teenoso (1984), Harbinger (2010) and St Nicholas Abbey (2011). The Ormonde has also been won by popular older stayers like Shambo (1994), The Whistling Teal (2006), Brown Panther (2014) and Clever Cookie (2015).

The Huxley Stakes was first run in 1999 with victory going to the appropriately-named Chester House. He went on to win the Arlington Million the following year. Maraahel won the race for three consecutive seasons between 2005 and 2007 for Sir Michael Stoute and Richard Hills. Noble Mission, a full-brother to Frankel, won the Huxley Stakes in 2014 and later won the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Boost your Chester Betting Experience

There is a strong ante-post betting book on the Chester Cup with early prices on all the live televised races. The Chester Classic trials are always likely to have an impact on the ante-post betting markets for the Derby and Oaks. You can check William Hill promotions for the latest Chester betting, Classic odds as well as special offers and price boosts.