Chester Racecourse, also called the Roodee, is the oldest racecourse still used England according to official records. Chester Racecourse is currently ranked as the 4th biggest attended track over the whole of Britain, averaging over 18,000 people each at its horse racing meetings. It was initially Chester Racecourse that showed how to do well with Sunday racing and thousands now pack the Roodee for the annual family fun day which is in August each year. The July meeting at Chester Racecourse, which is held over 2 days, is one of the most popular racing events of the British summer. It is very interesting to note that Chester racecourse was built over the silted up old Roman port of Deva on the River Dee.

Chester City

Chester celebrates its folk heritage with dances, theatre, workshops, crafts, displays and events for children, featuring national and local folk performers. Chester boasts a great cathedral which was founded way back in the 10th century. The story behind Chester Cathedral can be traced well back to the time of the Saxon Minster, which in 907AD housed the remnants of Saint Werburgh. Chester Castle, which is set in the angle of the city walls and boasts the finest Norman architecture in the whole city. The Normans constructed a great castle at Chester not long after William the Conqueror took control of England.

Circled by 2 miles of Roman and medieval walls, Chester is fashioned by 2,000 years of history. During Roman times Chester was also known as Castra Deva (pronounced Dewa), which means 'the military camp on the River Dee' (places in England whose names contain the letters 'chester', or which end in -cester or -caster , were locations for military Roman camps). The remains of a Roman auditorium were excavated in the 1960s and can be viewed opposite the Chester Visitor Centre along Vicar's Lane.

Racing at the Roodee

Racing at Chester's historic Roodee track dates back to the very early 16th century, and this makes it the country's oldest racecourse. There has been horse racing on the Roodee at Chester for just over 450 years and the joy of watching racing at Chester unfolding before your very eyes from the chic surroundings of the course‘s enclosures or the free vantage point of the City walls is an impressive experience. Tudor Queens and Kings ruled England when horseracing started on The Roodee.

There are few breath-taking sights in British racing than the horses thundering down the straight the final furlong at Chester, a near oval track which makes outstanding demands on the capabilities of both jockeys and their horses with races run constantly on the turn. For a lot of people it is the perfect weekend to combine horse racing with the wonders of eating out and shopping in the city of Chester.

The Dee Festival each year celebrates the prominent position of both Chester and Bangor-on-Dee Racecourses on the banks of the River Dee, which allows race goers to experience the complete thrill of racing with all its appeal. The July meeting at Chester, held over 2 days, is one of the most popular racing events of the summer, and something I recommend to anyone with the slightest interest in horses.

Chester racecourse is even the oldest in Europe with regular race meetings are held throughout the year, and with such a small track at only 7 furlongs you feel as if you are part of the race, and with fantastic views over both the course and the River Dee,

Chester Racecourse can be found within the historic and beautiful City of Chester, rated as one of Britain‘s great heritage cities.

The Dee Stakes in the May meeting is a Group 3 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred geldings and colts run over a distance of 1m 2f 75yds (2,080 metres) and can be a stepping stone to Groups 1 races. The race is named because Chester Racecourse is situated on the banks of the River Dee, and the race has a long tradition.