Chester

Totesport Day at Chester Races saw a good crowd of racegoers decend on the Roodee course on a hot humid afternoon on the 10th July. Races included the £37,000 City Plate and City Wall Stakes.

A few pictuers of the preparations for the first evening event on the Chester racing calendar. Chester races Ladies Evening, followed on the Saturday by Chester Races Midsummer Meeting.

A very hot day day the evening included an appearence from the cast of Hollyoaks.

click on any picture for a higher resolution slide show

The sixth Coutts International Polo Weekend took place on Friday 4th and Saturday 6th of June. Taking place on Chester Race courses Polo ground. Sunshine was enjoyed on both days broken only for a short shower on the Friday. International teams competed for the £10,000 prize over the two day event.

Here is a collection of photographs of this years Coutts International Polo Weekend

In marked contrast to the rainy days of the May Festival.  Chester Racecourse played host to the Roman Day weekend family oriented event on May 22nd, in glorious sunshine. The event featured Roman Centurians, Chariot racing, The Devils Horsemen stunt riding and fairground rides and bouncy castles on the open course.

The hot sunny weather made it a picnic day and with cars allowed onto the open course many took advantage and enjoyed the day with a barbecue. Creating the strange sight of plumes of smoke rising through the crowds.

Here is a selection of Chester Races Roman Day photographs.

The morning of Sunday 16^th May 2010 saw the running of the Chester Half Marathon. Over 2,500 runners participated in the cities “largest mass participation event”. Starting on Chester Racecourse at 9.30. The 13.1 mile long run takes a southern route out of Chester. Crossing the Dee over the Old Dee Bridge, along Eaton Lane, Rake Lane and the Wrexham Road before returning to Chester. Over Grosvenor Bridge and and the finish back on the Racecourse.

The second day of Chester Races May Festival, The Boodles sponsored Lady's Day, got off to a damp start. The street vendors stalls on Foregate Street, approaching the city centre, had sprouted impressive displays of umberellas. Early arrivals could be seen walking up City road from the railway station in their race going finery. Many unprepared for the early and persistent rain.

Abode have opened the latest in their chain of designer hotels in the prestigious HQ Building. Overlooking the racecourse and the River Dee with open views to the Welsh hills beyond. The hotel includes a Michael Caines Restaurant on the fifth floor, a Bar and Grill on the ground floor with alfresco eating in the courtyard of this circular building and a late night lounge bar. Opened in time for the opening of the Chester race season. The hotel has splendid views across Chester Racecourse.

Chester's new HQ building is built on the site of the former Cheshire Police Headquarters, overlooking the Racecourse and dominating the approach to Chester over the Grosvenor Bridge from the west. It is an interesting, predominantly glass circular high rise building that brings a shock of the new to the normally conservative historic city.

Chester Racecourse is located in the city centre on an area of land between the city wall and the River Dee. This was the city's port from Roman times until the silting up of the river in the 18th century.  Known as the Roodee, after the Saxon word "rood" or cross and the Norse word "eye" or island.  In the centre of the racecourse stands the ramains of a stone cross.