Chester Cup, Ladies Day and a city-centre parade: what to expect from 6 to 8 May
Chester Racecourse will host the Boodles May Festival from Wednesday 6 May to Friday 8 May, with a city-centre parade on the opening day and Ladies Day falling on Senedd polling day.
The three-day meeting is one of the largest annual draws into Chester for Flintshire residents, with the city sitting directly across the border from Deeside.
The Festival opens on Wednesday 6 May with a parade through Chester city centre, starting from the Boodles store on Eastgate Street at midday and finishing at the racecourse.
The Ladbrokes Chester Cup trophy will be carried as part of the procession, with the official draw for the race broadcast live from the racecourse on Sky Sports Racing later that day.
Ladies Day takes place on Thursday 7 May, the same day as the Senedd election.
Polling stations across Flintshire will be open from 7am to 10pm.
The Best Dressed Competition returns on Ladies Day in partnership with Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, with judging held in the Paddock.
The Ladbrokes Chester Cup itself runs on Friday 8 May.
Jockey Harry Davies is aiming for a third consecutive Chester Cup victory after winning aboard East India Dock in 2025 and Zoffee in 2024.
Last year’s meeting produced two horses that went on to win at Epsom in the same season.
Minnie Hauk, winner of the Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks at Chester, claimed the Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks.
Lambourn, winner of the Boodles Chester Vase, won the Epsom Derby.
The racecourse said it was the first time in its history that winners of both races had gone on to win at Epsom in the same year.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore took all three of the meeting’s main trial races in 2025 and are expected to field strong runners again this year.
The Festival has added an international qualifying route through a partnership with the New York Racing Association.
The winner of the Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes will earn a place in the Belmont Gold Cup in New York, which is itself a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup.
The winner of the Deepbridge Huxley Stakes will secure entry into the Manhattan Stakes, a race carrying prize money of one million US dollars.
Chester Racecourse said hospitality packages for all three days had sold out.
County Concourse tickets for Ladies Day are also sold out.
Limited tickets remain for Ladies Day and Chester Cup Day, according to the racecourse.
Steve Davies, Chief Operating Officer at Chester Racecourse, said:
“We’d also encourage people to come into the city on the Wednesday to be part of the Ladbrokes Chester Cup parade, which is a fantastic way to mark the start of the Festival. Seeing the Cup travel through the streets of Chester and arrive at the racecourse really builds the anticipation for the days ahead and is a great moment for everyone to get involved in.”
Festival days routinely bring heavier traffic on the A55, A483 and approaches into Chester city centre, and parking restrictions are in place around the racecourse during meetings.
Tickets and event information are available at www.chester-races.com.
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