Chester Racecourse
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
at Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
dates back to the early sixteenth century. It is also thought to be the smallest racecourse of significance in England at 1 mile and 1 furlong (1.8 km) long.
History
The 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) racecourse lies on the banks of the River DeeRiver Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
. The site was once a harbour during the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement of the city during the Dark Ages, but was closed as the river silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
ed up thus making navigation impossible. Towards the centre of the in field is a raised mound which is decorated by a small cross known as a "rood
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
". It is from this that the race course derives the name "Roodee"; Roodee is a corruption of "Rood Eye", meaning "The Island of the Cross".
According to legend the cross marks the burial site of a statue of the Virgin Mary sentenced to hang after causing the death of Lady Trawst, the wife of the Governor of Hawarden. The legend states that she had gone to church to pray for rain but when her prayers were answered by a tremendous thunderstorm the statue was loosened and fell, killing her. As a holy object, hanging or burning the statue would be sacrilege so the statue was left by the banks of the river and the tide carried it down to Chester. The statue was found guilty by a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
of 12 men. If the legend is true, then this is the first recorded case of a jury being used in a court.
In an alternate version of the legend, the statue was instead carried to St John's church. An ancient statue of the Virgin was recorded at the time of the reformation but may not be the same one. The statue was thrown down as a relic of popery, used as a whipping post for scholars and burned.
The site was formerly the home of the original Chester Midsummer Watch Parade
Chester Midsummer Watch Parade
-History:A monk, Lucian, wrote of a Chester procession of clerics in the year 1195 and city annals mention a parade in 1397/8, but it was not until the mayoralty of Richard Goodman who served from November 1498 until November 1499 that the "Wach on Midsummer Eve was first sett out and begonne"...
, temporarily banned by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
but finally abolished in 1677
The east of the race course abuts directly onto Chester's ancient city walls which were once used to moor Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
trading vessels, before the course of the river changed. Spectators can watch races for free from the walls which offer a clear view of the whole circuit. The Grosvenor bridge
Grosvenor Bridge (Chester)
The Grosvenor Bridge is a single-span arch road bridge constructed from stone. It crosses the River Dee at Chester in England. The bridge is located on the A483 Grosvenor Road . Views upriver from the bridge include Chester Castle and Handbridge. The view downstream from the bridge encompasses the...
, at one time the longest single arch bridge in the world, passes over the south-eastern corner. The north of the course is bordered by a long railway bridge carrying the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
over the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
. The course is overlooked from the opposite bank of the river by the mansions of Curzon Park
Curzon Park
The Chester suburb of Curzon Park is a highly attractive residential area South of the River Dee situated within easy walking distance of the ancient Roman and medieval city walls, just across the famous Grosvenor Bridge. Part of the Curzon & Westminster Ward, the Curzon Park area is well known for...
, which can be seen dominating the skyline from any of the three grandstands.
Horseracing
The Chester Racecourse site was home to the famous and bloody Goteddsday footballMediæval football
Medieval football is a modern term sometimes used for a wide variety of localised football games which were invented and played in Europe of the Middle Ages. Alternative names include folk football, mob football and Shrovetide football. Some of these games are played in current times. These games...
match. The game was however very violent and, in 1533, banned by the city, to be replaced in 1539 by horse racing. The first recorded race was held on February 9, 1539 with the consent of the Mayor Henry Gee, whose name led to the use of the term "gee-gee" for horses. Races originally took place on Goteddsday (Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
) until 1609, and thereafter on St George's Day
St George's Day
St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303...
, both major festivals during the medieval period. Victors were awarded the "Chester Bells", a set of decorative bells
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
for decorating the horse's bridle
Bridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
, and from 1744 the "Grosvenor
Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor
Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor , known as Sir Richard Grosvenor, 7th Baronet between 1755 and 1761 and as The Lord Grosvenor between 1761 and 1784, was a British peer, racehorse owner and art collector...
Gold Cup", a small tumbler
Tumbler
Tumbler may refer to:* A part of a lock whose position must be changed by a key in order to release the bolt...
made from solid gold (later silver). In 1766 a May Festival was introduced, and in 1824, the Tradesmen's Cup Race (the predecessor to the Chester Cup
Chester Cup
The Chester Cup is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Chester over a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
) was also introduced.
However, the racecourse was at that point still just an open field, with the first grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
finished in 1817 and the first admittance-fee not being taken until 1897. The stand was rebuilt in 1899-1900, and was replaced after being destroyed by a fire set by an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist in 1985.
Notable races
- Cheshire OaksCheshire OaksCheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is the UK's largest outlet centre, with 145 stores. It was, at one point, the largest in Europe. It is located in the village of Little Stanney near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, close to Junction 10 of the M53. It is run by McArthurGlen and features a wide range of...
- Chester CupChester CupThe Chester Cup is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Chester over a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 147 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- Huxley StakesHuxley StakesThe Huxley Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 75 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- Chester VaseChester VaseThe Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 66 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- Earl Grosvenor Stakes
- Dee StakesDee StakesThe Dee Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 75 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- Ormonde StakesOrmonde StakesThe Ormonde Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Chester over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 89 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
- City Plate Stakes
- City Wall Stakes
- Queensferry Stakes
- Chester Stakes
- Henry Gee Stakes
Today
The racecourse's position in the city makes race meetings at Chester very popular as it is only a very short stroll to all the hotels, bars, shopping and restaurants. A great free view of the course can be had from the old Roman wall that circumnavigates Chester. The racecourse itself is just over 1 miles (1.6 km) long, flat and raced anti-clockwise or left-handed. The main characteristic of the course is the very short straight (239 yards). As such, long-strided horses, which perform better on straights, are at a distinct disadvantage.In 2008, a restaurant opened at the racecourse, named 1539, after the first year racing took place at Chester.
The main race meetings at Chester are often broadcast on Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
.