Chester's meeting heads the fixture list
Apr 30 2005 By Nick Grant, The Journal
One of the real joys of the Flat season takes place next week with the staging of Chester's popular May meeting.
Run this year on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the enclosures on the ancient Roodee will be packed to the rafters, especially if the sun is shining.
The first day features the big one, the £120,000 totesport Chester Cup over an extended two and a quarter miles - which means they go past the winning post three times at this unique venue.
The Listed Weatherbys Cheshire Oaks, run for the Robert Sangster Cup, is also worthy of note on the same card.
Thursday's highlight is the MBNA Europe Bank Chester Vase, a recognised trial for the Vodafone Derby and won in 1981 by none other than the legendary Shergar.
The Betdaq Ormonde Stakes for older horses is the feature on Friday, ably supported by the Heathcotes Dee Stakes, which could see a Classic entrant or two, including Aidan O'Brien's well-touted Gypsy King.
Channel 4 cameras will be in attendance on all three days.
A busy week kicks off with five meetings on Bank Holiday Monday, headed by the Flat cards at Doncaster and Kempton.
Events at Chester then grab the attention before some quality fare at the weekend when Lingfield and Haydock - both televised by the BBC - lead the way.
The agenda at the Surrey track on Saturday is particularly interesting, featuring as it does the totesport Victoria Cup, a heritage handicap run over seven furlongs and switched from Ascot, plus the Lingfield Derby and Oaks Trials, the former due to feature O'Brien's Yehudi.
An interesting mixed card at Haydock the same day features the competitive Stanleybet (formerly Swinton) Handicap Hurdle.
(Flat in capitals)
Monday: DONCASTER, KEMPTON, NEWCASTLE, Sedgefield, WARWICK
Tuesday: BATH, CATTERICK (evening), Exeter (evening), LEICESTER, Ludlow
Wednesday: CHEPSTOW, CHESTER (CH4), Fakenham
Thursday: CHEPSTOW (evening), CHESTER (CH4), FOLKESTONE, Newton Abbot, Wetherby (evening)
Friday: CHESTER (CH4), HAMILTON (evening), LINGFIELD, NOTTINGHAM, Wincanton (evening)
Saturday: BEVERLEY (CH4), HAYDOCK (mixed) (BBC), Hexham, LINGFIELD (BBC), NEWMARKET (CH4), THIRSK (evening), Warwick (evening)
Sunday: Plumpton, Uttoxeter, Worcester
