Beginners guide to Racing

Before you arrive

You can't beat the spectacle and colour of seeing horses and jockeys close up, the bustle around the betting ring and adrenalin rush of the race itself. At Chester, the social side is important too.

The more you know about it, the more fun you'll have!

What to wear

For many ladies, dressing up is part of the experience: with Boodles Ladies Day during the May Festival and Ladies Evening in June, Chester provides many excuses to don a new dress!

Customers in the County Stand: Long Room and Concourse and in all hospitality and restaurant facilities, are required to observe a strict dress code. Gentlemen are required to wear a suit jacket, collar and tie, Ladies are required to wear smart dress and no Denim or Trainers allowed. The Racecourse reserves the right to prohibit racegoers who are incorrectly dressed from entering designated areas.

For ladies, hats are not compulsory though more and more people are wearing them. Handbags should be big enough to hold a racecard - normally a A5 sized booklet - as well as your essentials, with a secure zip compartment for your money and betting tickets.

Depending on the type of admission booked, you will have a ticket or a metal swing-badge. The latter should be prominently displayed - usually from a button hole or a handbag strap - so that it can be readily seen by officials.

A good deal of walking is involved on any racecourse, some of it on wet grass and at a brisk pace, so give particular thought to your footwear!

What to take

You will need cash for the bookmakers, some but not all may take a minimum bet of £5. The Tote will take bets as small as £2. Tote betting vouchers can also be obtained with credit/debit cards at the Tote information points.

Racecards (a detailed guide to the day's action) are on sale at the track. For homework beforehand, race details and tips are in the sports pages of national newspapers and the Racing Post, online at www.chester-races.com or on www.racingpost.co.uk.

Please disarm your camera flash as bright lights and sudden loud noises genuinely upset horses and undo their meticulous preparation for the race.

Binoculars are useful for following a particular horse, but there will be ample big screens on which to follow the action.

If you would like to eat in one of the restaurants, please pre-book your place.

When you are here

Arriving

The start of the first race will vary from meeting to meeting. The closer the start, the busier the traffic, so aim to arrive about an hour and a half beforehand. This will give you time to understand the racecourse layout and check out facilities. For more information for those coming by public transport, please see General Information.

The Paddock

The paddock is the overall name for the area containing the Parade Rings and the "Weighing Room" - racing-speak for the officials' and jockeys' building.

The raceday takes place in a number of half-hour cycles. This begins in the pre-parade ring about half an hour before the first race, when the runners will be taken into the saddling boxes to be saddled up. It's worth watching this to get a first impression of the horse before he/she proceeds to the main parade ring.

Entry to the parade rings is limited to owners, trainers and jockeys but you will find ample vantage points all round.
 

The run up to the race

About five minutes before the race, the horses leave the parade ring to canter down to the start. They will take a few minutes to be loaded into the starting stalls. Canny racegoers will have already left the Paddock to place their bets (either in the outside Betting Ring, the indoor Betting Hall or with the Tote) and secure a good view on the track. Allow five to 10 minutes to do both; don't leave it too late as bets cannot be taken once a race starts. Check several bookmakers as some may offer better odds for your horse..

Between races, you may wish to buy a drink or snack, but so will everyone else, so please be patient. All betting areas have refreshment areas and TV screens so that no-one need miss the action.

The prize giving

The race result is not official until you have heard the announcement "Weighed In." Until then, you cannot collect winning bets. There is no need to fret; winning tickets can be redeemed any time that day.

The first three-placed horses return to the Parade Ring and are unsaddled in the Winners Enclosure. A brief prize giving takes place which is worth watching, not only to spot famous faces but as a courtesy to the race sponsor.

Meanwhile, runners for the next race start to arrive in the Parade Ring and the whole cycle starts again.
 

Going home

Inevitably, with everyone trying to go home at once, queuing in car parks will occur. Please be patient while the ground staff safely filters the traffic off the site.