A Piece Of Heaven's 7-1 victory in the Chester Cup provided a fitting finale to the May festival at the world's oldest racecourse, especially after Thursday's ground chaos threatened the event. The race, the most popular and historic of the year at Chester, rounded off the track's meeting on Friday, following a day when the middle day of the showpiece event teetered on the edge of an expensive, embarrassing disaster.
Around 2:30pm on Thursday, with approximately 15,000 spectators present for Ladies' Day, the odds of abandonment seemed to shorten as a delegation of jockeys and trainers inspected the turf on the home turn. Several riders had reported slipping in the opening race, prompting emergency remedial work by Chester's ground staff. Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband William, scratched Morshdi, the second-favourite, from the Dee Stakes after Tom Marquand reported the ground as dangerous and stood himself down for the day.
Thanks to the frantic efforts of the grounds team, the remaining six races eventually went ahead, albeit over an hour late. Marquand revised his decision and rode in the final two races. An abandonment would have been a huge financial and reputational blow to a venue still recovering from losing its May festival to Covid in 2020 and running behind closed doors in 2021. Total attendance for the May festival in 2019 was 53,000, but the four meetings since full crowds returned in 2022 have averaged 34,500, a 34% decline and 44% down on the 62,000 who attended 15 years ago.
Louise Stewart, Chester's chief executive, expects a rise of around 6% this year, building on a 10% boost in 2025, and was relieved no refunds were necessary. She praised the grounds team, some of whom have been at Chester for over 45 years, saying they know every blade of grass and how to prepare the ground for the May festival. The delay was unprecedented, and she was proud of the team's response.
A positive from Thursday's events was the huge cheer from the crowd when racing was confirmed to continue. Stewart noted that people are there for the racing and a good time, and Chester manages that balance well. The course's tight, turning layout with a sharp descent to a short home straight, below Roman walls where hundreds watch for free, is unique. Officially dating to 1539, it holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest still-operational racecourse.
Changes to licensing, reducing the extent to which alcohol can be brought into the centre enclosure by picnickers, have affected crowd numbers, while premium ticket sales have increased to offset the decline. On the track, the May meeting's trials for the Epsom Classics have performed brilliantly. In 2025, the winners of the Chester Vase and Cheshire Oaks both followed up at Epsom. This year, Benvenuto Cellini (Vase winner) and Amelia Earhart (Cheshire Oaks winner) are clear favourites for the Derby and Oaks respectively. Constitution River's seven-length win in the Dee Stakes was described by Timeform as one of the best Classic trial performances in years.
Hickory Ready to Smoke Opposition at Ascot
At Ascot on Saturday, the high-numbered stalls are generally favourable on the straight seven-furlong course. There is plenty of pace drawn mid-to-high in the Victoria Cup Handicap, pointing to another big run from Hickory and Saffie Osborne, last year's winners from stall 17. Hickory has a fine Ascot record with two wins and five places from nine starts on the straight course. Osborne has been key to that form, both for former trainer James Fanshawe and now her father Jamie. The eight-year-old is on a career-high mark but should get the tow needed from several high-drawn front-runners.
Saturday Tips
- Haydock 12.45: Lord Snootie
- Haydock 1.15: Frontier Prince
- Haydock 1.48: Plan De Stan
- Haydock 2.30: Barbury Boy
- Haydock 3.05: Mohaaraj
- Haydock 3.40: Lake Forest
- Haydock 4.15: City Captain
- Lingfield 12.55: Sweet Reward
- Lingfield 1.28: Romantic Symphony
- Lingfield 1.58: Maltese Cross
- Lingfield 2.40: Royal Velvet
- Lingfield 3.15: Apotheosis
- Lingfield 3.50: Assaranca
- Lingfield 4.25: Birkenhead
- Ascot 1.10: Night In Vegas
- Ascot 1.45: Zgharta (nb)
- Ascot 2.20: Hickory (nap)
- Ascot 2.55: Valedictory
- Ascot 3.30: Waterford Castle
- Ascot 4.05: Naga
- Ascot 4.40: Lord Roxby
- Nottingham 1.38: Angel Sense
- Nottingham 2.08: Lighting Thunder
- Nottingham 2.50: Valkyrie Storm
- Nottingham 3.25: Winston's Warrior
- Nottingham 4.00: Komorkis
- Nottingham 4.35: Go Lockers Go
- Nottingham 5.10: Gentle Warrior
- Hexham 3.20: Tap Tap Shamie
- Hexham 3.55: Conquer The Breeze
- Hexham 4.30: Gold Clermont
- Hexham 5.05: Eagles Rock
- Hexham 5.42: Monaco Rules
- Hexham 6.15: Scots Poet
- Hexham 6.47: Breadalbane Lass
- Leicester 5.25: Thunda Struck
- Leicester 5.55: Masked Warrior
- Leicester 6.25: Mumayaz
- Leicester 6.55: Johnny Boom
- Leicester 7.25: Zubaru
- Leicester 7.55: Oasis Sunrise
- Leicester 8.25: Tonal
- Warwick 5.35: Carpe Diem
- Warwick 6.07: So Proud
- Warwick 6.37: Blue In The West
- Warwick 7.07: Three Pikes
- Warwick 7.37: Walkin Out
- Warwick 8.07: Legend D'Airy
Analysis
At Haydock, Fergal O'Brien's Frontier Prince is an interesting each-way option in first-time cheekpieces after a close fourth in a similar contest. At Lingfield, Romantic Symphony is the only filly not entered for the Oaks but may be supplemented if she extends her unbeaten record. At Ascot, Zgharta made a fine handicap debut over this track and trip at the Royal meeting last year, finishing within three-and-a-half lengths of the winner; she has an obvious chance from just 1lb higher. In the Derby Trial, Maltese Cross could book his place after William Haggas's stoutly bred colt needed every inch of 10 furlongs to win at Newbury. Royal Velvet deserves a crack at Group Three after a career best at Newmarket. Valedictory was narrowly beaten at odds-on on handicap debut but showed enough to suggest this step up to a stiff mile and a half will suit. Apotheosis's quirks have been ironed out by a hood, and he was a winner at this track as a three-year-old.
