Chester Racecourse

Ballydoyle has once again passed its annual check-up with Dr Chester and Aidan O'Brien continued his domination of black-type contests at the Roodeye after TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Galileo) increased the trainer's record haul to eight in the extended 13-furlong stamina test. O'Brien and Ryan Moore, when partnering up, have registered 11 consecutive wins at the track and the G1 St Leger and G1 Coronation Cup hero will defend his title in the latter event, skipping the opportunity of utilising his free ticket to next month's GII Belmont Gold...

Racing at Chester on the second day of the Boodles May Festival was delayed by over an hour due to a course inspection. A delegation of officials, jockeys and trainers took to the track to inspect areas of concern after several riders reported that their mounts had slipped during the first race on the card, a five-furlong handicap won by course specialist Roman Dragon. Following lengthy deliberations, it was then announced just before 3pm that racing would continue. However, the William Haggas-trained Morshdi, one of the favourites for the Listed...

Wathnan Racing's Tornado Tower (Frankel), an 850,000gns Book 1 full-brother to G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Hurricane Lane, made his second start a winning one in Wednesday's TMT Group Maiden Stakes at Chester. "We had the option of going a mile-and-a-half or a mile-and-a-quarter here, but decided he'd shown enough zip in his last piece of work to go a mile-and-a-quarter," explained James Doyle. "He was learning on the job early, we got rolling a little way from home and it set...

A new partnership has been announced between Chester Racecourse and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), creating an international pathway from the Boodles May Festival to some of the most prestigious Graded races in America. Under the initiative, the winner of the G3 Ladbrokes Ormonde Stakes (Thursday, May 7) at Chester's May Festival will receive automatic entry and travel incentives to compete in the GII Belmont Gold Cup (Thursday, June 4), worth $250,000. The Belmont Gold Cup has been hosted at Saratoga Race Course since 2024 while the new...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Mount Kilimanjaro (Siyouni) needed every yard of Thursday's Listed Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes and continued the Ballydoyle maestro's dominance of this year's Chester Cup meeting with a seventh win in eight renewals, and a record-breaking 12th overall, in the extended 10-furlong contest. Last year's Criterium d'Automne winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up broke well and settled in fifth passing the judge first time, but slipped to sixth at halfway. Coming under pressure with a quarter-mile remaining, the even-money favourite was under a full Ryan Moore pump thereafter...

Last term's G1 Derby 12th Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}--Dilmun, by War Front) continued on his pathway back to the highest level when striking late to secure a record-extending eighth renewal for veteran maestro Sir Michael Stoute in Friday's G2 Huxley S. at Chester. Flaxman Stables' homebred 4-year-old settled into a smooth rhythm, within range of the leaders, in fifth for most of the extended 10-furlong test. Making eyecatching headway on the bridle into contention rounding the home turn, the 7-4 second favourite swept by last term's G2 Princess Of Wales's S....

Coolmore's Capulet (Justify--Wedding Vow {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) followed up an Aug. 15 debut victory at Dundalk with placed efforts in September's G2 Golden Fleece S. and G2 Royal Lodge S., and went postward for Thursday's Listed Boodles Raindance Dee S. at Chester coming back off a third over one mile at Chelmsford, behind the reopposing Bracken's Laugh (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), on sophomore return last month. Sent into an immediate lead by Ryan Moore, the 7-2 chance held sway throughout the extended 10-furlong test and stayed on relentlessly under continued...

After the shell-shock of City Of Troy's performance in Saturday's 2000 Guineas still reverberating, the Derby has a much more open look than it did last week and so the focus on Chester's May Festival will be even keener than usual. Wednesday's G3 Boodles Chester Vase has supplied the Blue Riband hero twice since 2013 and with a record 10 successes it is clear that Aidan O'Brien has come to prioritise the trial for his Epsom hopefuls. Ryan Moore had the pick of a duo this time and has opted...

The Racing Together Industry Day will be held at Chester Racecourse on Feb. 8, the organisation announced on Wednesday. The 2024 edition will take place at Chester Racecourse and will consist of a variety of speakers from both within and outside the racing industry. Conor McGinn, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock will open the day and will be joined by speakers from the sports of rugby and cricket. This year the event will be kindly supported by Gallagher's Insurance, who will be exploring the...

Coolmore and Westerberg's 575,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling and 'TDN Rising Star' Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Sweepstake {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) made a winning seasonal return in last month's G3 Alleged S. at the Curragh, having been on the shelf for almost a year after running seventh in last term's G1 2000 Guineas, and added to his tallies in 2021's G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. with a battling effort in Friday's G2 IRE-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley S at Chester. Positioned in second passing the...

Juddmonte's €440,000 Goffs November foal Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Nisriyna {Ire}, by Intikhab) closed his four-race juvenile campaign with a second in October's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and made a winning sophomore return under a Frankie Dettori masterclass in Wednesday's G3 Boodles Chester Vase. Maintaining a three-wide passage off the rail and racing on fresher ground in second for most of this G1 Derby trial, the 10-11 favourite was sent to the front leaving the half-mile pole behind and stayed on strongly thereafter, crossing the line underneath the stands' side rail,...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Daddys Lil Darling, by Scat Daddy) shed maiden status with a game frontrunning display over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown last month and stormed to the head of ante-post betting lists for Epsom's G1 Oaks after unleashing a spectacular performance in Wednesday's Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions Cheshire Oaks at Chester. The 8-11 favourite's only moment of worry came at the break, when hampered as the gates opened, and she was bustled along early to retain contact with the main cluster. Inching forward inside the last...