Boodles May Festival Trials Day - Chester Racecourse

Boodles May Festival Trials Day For The Champions of Tomorrow

Our racing returns on Wednesday 5th May but this isn’t just any racing – it’s the unveiling of greatness.

Our Boodles May Festival Trials Day kicks off the start of an eagerly anticipated season and is one of our best racedays to see top owners and trainers showcase rising champions.

What’s so special about this day you ask?

Experience the running of The Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks, a trial for the Epsom Oaks for fillies and The Boodles Chester Vase, one of two trials run at the meeting for the Epsom Derby.

This is where history is made. New champions emerge. And the heartbeat of the season thunders to life.

Sign Up For Early Bird AccessSign Up For Early Bird Access

Schedule

Gates open

11:30 am

The Going & weather

Coming soon.

Highlights

The Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks

A race with real history behind it, The Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks is a big early-season test for three-year-old fillies and a strong run here often points to who’ll do well at the Epsom Oaks.

This year’s winner was Amelia Earhart, and she made it look easy. Starting as the second-favourite, she sat patiently behind the early leaders before putting her foot down in the final stretch and pulling away to win by a length and a quarter. Trained by racing legend Aidan O’Brien and ridden by top jockey Ryan Moore, she headed into the Epsom Oaks as the horse everyone expected to win.

She had big shoes to fill. Just a year earlier, her stablemate Minnie Hauk pulled off something spectacular – winning the Cheshire Oaks and then going on an incredible winning streak, adding the Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks to her name. Four major wins in one year — this is the kind of run that turns a good horse into a superstar.

The Boodles Chester Vase

Move over fillies! It’s time for the colts & geldings to step up the plate for the Boodles Chester Vase – one of two trials run at the meeting for the Epsom Derby.

The great Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien is the undisputed king of this race, with a record-breaking 12 wins to his name. Last year, his star Lambourn claimed the Boodles Chester Vase before going all the way to Epsom Derby glory too.

This year’s winner, Benvenuto Cellini, didn’t just win — he demolished the field. Benvenuto Cellini sat patiently in third before cruising through the pack and pulling away to a dazzling 4¼-length victory, instantly marking himself out as the horse to beat for the Derby. It was another huge day for O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, who’d already teamed up to win the Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks earlier in the card — proof that when it comes to Chester, this yard simply knows how to win.

Draw for the Ladbrokes Chester Cup

Whether drawn on the inside, outside, or centre of the field, the draw for the Ladbrokes Chester Cup can play a vital role in the outcome of our big race of the year! Housed in the favourable Stall 2, A Piece Of Heaven made the most of his low draw to land the 2026 running of the Ladbrokes Chester Cup.

Early Bird Sign Up

"*" indicates required fields

Plan Your Day Your Guide

You’ve bought your tickets, woohoo! – now it’s time to plan your visit. So you can get a gallop on, we’ve created a handy little guide to help your day run smoothly.

styler Dress Code chevron_right

Don your best fascinators, frocks and fedoras and embrace your inner fashionista.

train Travel & Parking chevron_right

Planes, trains and automobiles! Find the best way to get to Chester Racecourse.

map_search Racecourse Map chevron_right

Don’t get lost on a raceday! Use our handy racecourse map to get from A to B.

help FAQs chevron_right

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Find everything you need to know right here.

accessible Accessibility chevron_right

Check out our policies and services available to racegoers with accessibility needs.