The Boodles Festival, the most famous and well-known racing fixture to take place at Chester racecourse, was canceled last year because of the pandemic and now scheduled to return next week.
Chester Race Company Ltd earlier today revealed dates, from May 5th – 7th when racing will return with owners on-site, together with their jockeys and trainers.
Although this will be racing behind closed doors, there are very special plans in place for those wanting to enjoy the ultimate virtual race-day experiences.
And for those not wanting to miss out on the action, Chester Racecourse has a program of virtual events lined up to entertain. You should simply, subscribe to the Chester Racecourse newsletter at: chester-races.com and you can be a part of the race day atmosphere.
Don’t miss out on any of the live-action by tuning in to ITV 4 or Sky Sports Racing throughout the week. There will be daily chats with the jockeys, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, daily tipping from Tote, the Boodles May Festival Official Betting Partner, daily round-ups with racing professionals together with full reports on each of the day’s racing.
Andrew Morris, Director of Racing at Chester Race Company Ltd., said:
“The Boodles May Festival is an incredibly important and popular date in the racing calendar. It would traditionally attract crowds of around 20,000 on each of the three days.
“We are delighted to be welcoming back owners and trainers to the Boodles May Festival after a two-year break. There will definitely be a very special atmosphere at the racecourse across the three days.
“It is, of course, unfortunate that we are not yet in a position where we can welcome back full crowds but we are promising all of our loyal visitors – and new ones too of course – a special virtual race day experience on each of the three days. This will ensure no one misses out on the tremendous atmosphere which Chester Racecourse is so famous for.
“At the same time, we are all counting down the days to when crowds can once again be welcomed, hopefully at the end of June, providing the Government’s road map out of lockdown goes to plan.”
The total prize fund for the Boodles May Festival is £755,000, highlighting Chester Racecourse’s commitment to supporting the Horsemen’s Group.
There will be a variety of hospitality packages available throughout the season whether it is a day/evening out with a group of friends, or a special celebration for a birthday or anniversary.
Racing started in Chester – the oldest operating racecourse in the world – on Shrove Tuesday in 1539 and in nearly 500 years there have only been three major stoppages; the English Civil War, World War 1 and World War 2. When racing was reinstated in 1946, the pent- up demand resulted in a record attendance of 103,993 racegoers on Cup Day.
Tickets for the 2021 season are available from: https://www.chester-races.com/
