Chester Racecourse has announced a total prize fund increase of 17% (from 2023) to £3.275 million in 2024 across 15 of its race days.
Owned by Chester Race Company, the move will see more than £1.3m of the total fund offered over three days of the prestigious Boodles May Festival, from Wednesday 8th to Friday 10th May.
Uplifts in the race values of the 200-year-old Chester Cup* (£170,000), the Group 3 Boodles Chester Vase, Group 3 Ormonde Stakes (both £140,000) and the Listed Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks (£120,000) help contribute to a 13% increase in the Boodles May Festival prize fund versus 2023.
Outside of the Boodles May Festival, all other race days will be worth more prize money than their equivalents in 2023, and no race will be run for less than £15,000.
In addition to these significant increases to prize money, the racecourse has also enhanced its offering for 2024’s leading trainer. The winner will receive £10,000 for the yard, alongside a case of champagne and The Bobby McAlpine Trophy, a perpetual trophy named in memory of Chester Race Company’s former Chairman and Honorary President.
Louise Stewart, Chief Executive Officer at Chester Race Company, said:
“Our team work extremely hard to make sure Chester is an efficiently run racecourse, so in spite of the challenging economy and increasing cost pressures, I am delighted that we have been able to achieve both a 17% increase to prize money and a £15k minimum race value for the season.
“Chester consistently invests in the overall guest experience and is renowned for its excellent Owners and Trainers experience, having been awarded Gold Standard by the ROA since its inception.”
*Entries for the Chester Cup (Class 2 Heritage Handicap) close at noon on Tuesday, 9 April 2024.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.