Each enclosure at Chester Racecourse has its own unique dress code. This ensures everyone in that enclosure is dressed to the same standard so all racegoers can enjoy a memorable trip to the races in the style each enclosure is intended for. To view the dress codes for each enclosure, please click here.
We understand that all racegoers are different, and it is this diversity which makes the sport so great. If you feel you will struggle to comply with the dress code in the enclosure you wish to book, please complete our short online form by clicking here. Once you have submitted this, our team will evaluate your case and respond to you as soon as they can. If they find you do have a valid exemption, you will be issued with a digital exemption letter via email from our Box Office team to show stewards and security staff on arrival at the racecourse.
We do communicate our dress code policy very clearly on multiple pages of our website, in our Plan Your Day emails which are sent before each race day to every ticket booker, as well as on the gates at the racecourse itself. In the event you do arrive and do not comply with the dress code, stewards/security staff will have to refuse you entry to that enclosure. If a gentleman missing a tie, these can be purchased from the Box Office on the day with all profits going to charity. For all other dress code violations, you may need to visit a shop in the city (a short walk from the racecourse) in order to purchase the appropriate items. We do not offer refunds on tickets due to racegoers not complying with the dress code.
We have a dedicated, passionate team of health & safety officers who continually monitor all factors which impact racegoer safety, including the weather. There are rare instances where race days are impacted by more severe forms of weather be it heavy rain or a heatwave. This is the nature of outdoor sports and something all sporting venues deal with. Our health & safety team will always monitor the official forecast leading up to a race day and will always ensure any decisions are made with racegoers safety as the highest priority. In the rare instance we do relax the dress code, we will communicate this to all racegoers clearly before the day on our website, social media channels and via email.
Chester Racecourse now operates on a ‘cashless’ basis at all food and drink outlets. Cash may still be used when placing bets with all on-course bookmakers.
We accept all major debit/credit cards and Apple/Android Pay at all our food and drink outlets. Contactless payment is also accepted up to the value of £100. We do not currently accept American Express or Diners Club cards.
There are no ATM machines on the racecourse, the nearest ATM machines are located on Watergate Street and Eastgate Street in Chester City Centre.
Due to government legislation, credit cards cannot be used to place bets. Debit cards and cash can however and are widely accepted across our site.
At Chester Racecourse, we operate a dynamic pricing system which gives racegoers who pre-book ahead of time the best price possible. This means the earlier you book, the less you pay. You can, if you wish, arrive on the day and purchase tickets either at the gate or in the Box Office (depending on enclosure). Tickets on the gate, however, are subject to an additional price increase. Ticket sales on the day are only subject to availability, so to guarantee entry and make your arrival to the racecourse as quick and simple as possible, we advise you to pre-book.
This is correct. After a careful evaluation, our teams decided to limit bookings under one name to a maximum of 9 tickets per race day.
This ensures a much quicker, easier admission to the racecourse and helps keep queues to a minimum. If your booking consists of 10+ people, please call our Box Office on 01244 304610.
Please note if you book 10 or more tickets, the lead booker goes free in the following enclosures: Roodee, Tattersalls and County Concourse.
All tickets are subject to a £1.25 processing fee. This is a fee which is applied by our ticketing provider and is added to your basket at the checkout stage.
If you wish to gift someone a day at Chester Races, we advise you to purchase our digital gift card by clicking here. You can put however much value you wish on the card between £20 and £500. They can then spend this when they wish on the fixture they choose.
If you’re booking on behalf of someone else (i.e. for your company/office etc.) we advise you to call our Box Office on 01244 304610 and they will be able to process this for you.
Pre-bookings online can only be made up until midnight (00:00am) the day before the race day. For example, if a race meeting is taking place on the 25th June, you can only pre-book tickets up until midnight on 24th June. This is so that we can digitally distribute racegoers tickets in time, for those who have booked closer to the day. Any sales after this must be made in person at the Box Office.
Racegoers receive information via email on how to download their tickets closer to the fixture date. All hospitality guests receive e-tickets by email which can be distributed to members of your party and scanned at the gates either on your smartphone or on paper if you choose to print it.
All tickets will be sent directly to the lead booker. This means if you book on behalf of others, you all need to arrive at the gate at the same time to be scanned in together. Alternatively, please make separate bookings to give each member of your party access to their own ticket. If you are a group of 9 or more and make a booking with the Box Office, you will be given individual e-tickets for each member of your party which will allow them to enter separately if you choose.
Hospitality is a term which refers to racegoers who book into an enclosure where at least some of their food and drink is included. These packages also include complimentary racecards and some even include welcome drinks, unlimited bars and complimentary parking (depending on package and enclosure). We have two on site restaurants which become hospitality enclosures each race day, as well as other spaces across the racecourse. To find out more about these hospitality spaces, please visit the hospitality page by clicking here. General admission refers to tickets which only include admission into the racecourse. There is also a sub-category of enclosures known as premium general admission, which include additional perks and exclusivity. These are the County Long Room, Winning Post and Edinburgh Gin Garden.
Each enclosure at Chester Racecourse offers a unique experience specific to that area. To learn more about what each enclosure offers, please visit the enclosures page by clicking here.
Hospitality bookings are usually sent their e-tickets in the two weeks leading up to the event via email. Please keep checking your junk/spam folder as the email may have been moved there by your email provider. If you still do not have it, please get in touch with hospitality@chester-races.com at least 48 hours ahead of the race day.
If you do require a carer to accompany you on the day, we can offer them a Companion Pass which is free of charge. For more information on this, please click here.
Children are welcome in all of our enclosures except the Edinburgh Gin Garden and Winning Post Enclosure which are adult only enclosures. For general admission tickets children aged 17 or under are admitted free of charge and do not require a pre-booked ticket. They will be admitted when they arrive as long as they are with a ticket holding, responsible adult. If you are in a hospitality enclosure, you will need to pre-book a ticket for children. To do this, please contact hospitality@chester-races.com.
Chester Racecourse do not offer refunds for racegoers unable to attend a race day. Please see our terms and conditions by clicking here for more information.
In line with our refund policy, we cannot offer any refunds or exchanges on tickets purchased for a race day which is affected by transport strikes. Guests will need to find other modes of transport to get to the racecourse.
We only have a cloakroom facility in the County Stand and County Long Room. Otherwise, you will need to look after your own belongings throughout the day.
No we do not have storage facilities for guests anywhere on site.
Yes we have complimentary WiFi across our entire site for racegoers. No password or registration is required to gain access.
No this is not true. Our WiFi systems do not block anyone from accessing betting sites that are independent.
Unfortunately, we do not have any facilities to charge guests electronic devices. Please ensure these are fully charged before you leave home or bring a portable power bank.
Our racecards are £3.50 each. Guests in hospitality, the Winning Post and the Edinburgh Gin Garden all receive a complimentary racecard as part of their package. We have official racecard sellers across the racecourse in every enclosure with clearly branded stands.
We do not currently sell any branded merchandise.
No we do not sell any tobacco products anywhere on site.
On a race day we do not allow any dogs except assistance dogs on site.
Ball games are allowed in limited circumstances. Please speak to a steward when you arrive to clarify rules on the day.
Each enclosure boasts its own unique food offerings from a variety of racecourse owned outlets as well as third-party traders.
Yes we are proud to cater to everyone’s tastes here at Chester Racecourse. Our bars serve an incredibly wide range of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. We do ask, however, that if you do require drinks such as gluten free beer etc, please email us at enquiries@chester-races.com to let us know. This will allow us to ensure we keep a plentiful stock on site. Please ask at the bar for more information on the day.
Free water is available at the water stations located at the bars around the racecourse.
Unfortunately our PA system is strictly for pre-planned commentary and emergency announcements and we cannot accommodate personal requests.
Yes we do! This is one of our favourite things to do on a race day. We communicate any upcoming competitions on our website, social media channels and via email ahead of race days.
Yes we do offer racegoers the opportunity to park on site at the racecourse on race days. This is chargeable per car and car park passes can be purchased in advance on our website when you purchase your tickets, or on the day. Racegoers are parked in order of arrival by a team of stewards who will also direct you out of the racecourse at the end of each day. All cars and valuables are left at the owner’s risk and we do ask racegoers not to leave their cars overnight.
Accessible parking is offered in two places on the racecourse – the Holiday Inn Car Park at the main entrance (hardstanding), and the Open Course near Gate 11 (on grass). We ask that you think about what style of parking is best for you, wheelchair users might find our Holiday Inn Express car park easier but for other accessible needs, our grass car park
might be better. For guests who are in the County Concourse, County Long Room, Leverhulme Stand, Restaurant 1539 or Private Boxes, the Holiday Inn accessible parking is the closest location, whilst the Open Course is closest for those with a Roodee or Tattersalls ticket.
Hardstanding spaces are limited and so must be pre-booked. To make a request for this parking in the Holiday Inn Express car park, please complete the form at chester-races.com/accessibility.
Chester Racecourse has a proactive attitude to catering for all racegoers.
To assist racegoers with with additional accessibility requirements we have a number of policies and services in place to help make the racing experience at Chester an enjoyable event. The services we provide on race days include a complimentary companion pass, a
dedicated dedicated accessible entrances, viewing platforms and blue badge parking zones. Full details can be found on accessibility page here.
Yes all bags are searched on entry to the racecourse. We advise you only bring a bag if absolutely necessary in order to speed up admission times.
It is common to see sniffer (drug detection) dogs outside the racecourse at our admission gates on a race day. We also have multiple amnesty bins which allow racegoers or members of the public to anonymously, voluntarily surrender drugs, knives etc. This is all carried out to ensure racegoers at Chester have the best experience possible.
Picnics are permitted in the Open Course area of the Roodee Enclosure, (in the centre of the track). Picnics are not permitted in the Dee Stand area of the Roodee Enclosure.
All other enclosures will not allow any food or drink to pass through their gates. Additionally, alcohol may only be taken onto the Open Course Car Park Picnic Area by vehicle and must be a reasonable amount. For more information on our picnic policy, please visit our Plan Your Visit page.
Yes we encourage racegoers to check the forecast ahead of the day.
In the first instance, please speak to a member of staff on the day. As hard as we try, sometimes things do not go to plan. We will always do our best to rectify any issues if and when they occur. If for any reason we cannot assist on the day, please provide your feedback in writing by completing the complaints and compliments form here. We have a dedicated guest service team who will read and respond to your feedback, investigating further if necessary.
The Racecourse, Chester, CH1 2LY
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