Chester racecourse

Gave them an ICECREAM

Asked for ...

Photo Identity
Utility Bill
Proof of Earnings
Bank Account Details

Finger Printed

Oh no - That was just to have a Ten-Bob bet with ChesterBet.

By the way it was not just a few

Yes everything card only onlooker and attendances are plummeting I only went Wednesday Friday on Wednesday after the vase I just went in the architect pub and nipped out every half hour andatched from the wall.

Would you believe the drought cider on course is purple it’s called fruit cider

Think many have the same idea about this place now - met a racing bud in Ye Olde Boot on Friday, chatting racing and forgot about the time until we realised we'd missed the first. Got to the wall, looked at how the latecomers were being searched going into the Dee ( you'd think they were visiting relatives in prison), then decided we'd watch from the wall and go back and forth to the nearby pub. Have now decided that I'll not even consider handing them a penny ever again until at the very least they drop the Tatts dress code - on their website they even show an image of how they'd like an attendee to dress, along with recommendations  of which stores to buy the gear from. Crowd looked pretty sparse, something that pleased me greatly.

Price of champagne cheapest £90 highly unlikely you would get to sit down and enjoy it,York next week less than half that price and guaranteed a seat.

Yes you can lucky come to think about it the wall at Chester s a much better option than been on course if you fancy a drink you have the one liebe is referring to the architect.

Companies doing this to stop staff nicking cash.

But the downside is,a few of the young crowd have told me. They target bars at concerts,footy,races,where the bar is busy.

Order 6 pints,produce dud card,transatition fails,customers says,defo funds there try it again,then says your machine ain’t working.
Bar staff on minimum wage under pressure with long queues,just waves them away saying no problem.free drinks.

Because it looks like you’ve scanned your card,any managers don’t notice.  staff don’t want the hassle.
Same happens to get in venues,Wembley etc.

The business model of seeing labour as irrelevant.  back fires,because there’s no loyalty or responsibility.

Absolutely true comingupthehill

Chester used to always be nearly sold out,so they even used to let you go in the centre and could take your own beer in,people were walking in with cases of beer,

But they stopped all that,went card only,plus they fleece you.

So 2 things happen,they don’t go,or they find a way round it.

If prices were competitive,then people wouldn’t be bothered to work round the system,and would attend.

As for the staff,they probably give an agency 17 quid an hour for staff on 9.50 an hour.
Just pay the staff the 17,and get loyal workers..

Comingupthehill

Just one bookmaker turned up in the middle on Wednesday,no bar no food no screen nowhere to keep dry ,he packed down after 4 races ,they have even taken away the facilities for the Cheshire regiment on the Friday where many soldiers old and young would meet up in a big marquee.

Only been to Chester once quite a while ago
You cant appreciate how tight the track is
Also means drinking/viewing is very restricted
Not for me

i think those days chester only had about 3 meetings  all year

Mr c

There was a situation at haydock last summer when the owners of a winner who had won a few quid in the ring went into the champagne bar to celebrate,when ordering he was told card only ,he ordered two taxis and went into a wine bar in newton le willows and spent it there.

Elisjohn

It would be difficult for people to understand how good the Chester cup / vase meeting was in the 80s

Speaking of Football - and today being Sunday

Remember that Sunday Racing  FOOTBALL TEAMS  Nonsense at Haydock Park -

Where the Jockeys all rode for different Football teams, or something similar - and they had different Football Managers, and/or former players 'Managing' the different teams.

Same silly idea as the current - 'Racing League' jamboree/jolly-ups - that Chapman, Weaver and others all get so artificially  over-excited about

i'm sure i have somewhere a 1979 chester cup racecard signed by cecil, cauthen and piggott . i still have the junior members day badge , £2.50. ...went there thursday on a free badge . never seen the place so empty and , as usual here  , enjoyed myself more in the pub .

ribero -

The BHA proposed Reducing of Saturday Afternoon meetings - especially for a 3-hour period when the MAIN meetings are being shown on TV - will surely be a well-deserved, and over-delayed, 'kick in the Goolies' for Chester - after they have, self-servingly, chosen to race practically every other Saturday Summer afternoon these past few years.

Even clashing with (the same population Pool of) Haydock Park on several occasions.

- and, Yes - Of course ...

CHESTER also chose to race on the Silly and Senseless 'SUPER Saturday' Afternoon Shared by -

NEWMARKET's JULY CUP meeting, and YORK's JOHN SMITH's CUP day - along with ASCOT's Summer Mile meeting, too...

Although - It has to be said that Newmarket's equal Greed in switching the traditional JULY CUP day to Saturday, was a fair attempt at scoring an Own Goal.... especially as the ASCOT Summer meeting had been established in he Calendar since the early 2000s

That Top-End Fixture Overload has - FINALLY - been the Catalyst for the proposed Fixture Timing change - due to - an eventual realisation of an over-long dismissal of PUNTER COMPLAINTS - ever since this Australian idea of cramming all, and Any, race of consequence into SATURDAY FIXTURES.

Blame former BHB Chief Executive, the Australian, GREG NICHOLS for that Idea - and a consequence of his   BHB 'jobs for the boys' appointment.
Greg Nichols now being comfortably re-ensconced at Racing Victoria - and a Director of Racing Australia - whilst awaiting his undoubted big fat BHB Pension.

They - the likes of the BHB - and now the current BHA - would rather be star struck by some 'wonder-man' from
Down Under - than listen to the people who REALLY KNOW the game here .... SERIOUS PUNTERS.

Now - We even have Jockeys and Trainer's - along with platitudinous TV Presenters - latching onto the awful Australian description of a horse becoming - "a Saturday horse"

chester was a real feel-good racecourse in the late 90s. sad to see it so mismanaged. my last visit was in the notfair box and i so enjoyed the hospitality i nicked a coupla bottles. went back the next day  as a casual racegoer and it was orrible

when the weathers bad the crush is unendurable