Today is Ladies Day at the Chester May Festival — Thursday May 7. The Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes and the Deepbridge Huxley Stakes are the feature races. The Huxley Stakes carries a new significance in 2026: the winner qualifies for the $1 million Manhattan Stakes at NYRA in New York, which itself offers a route to the Melbourne Cup.
The Deepbridge Huxley Stakes
The Huxley Stakes is a Group 3 race for four-year-olds and older over the Chester straight mile. It has historically been a competitive middle-distance race that attracts consistent performers from the older horse division. In 2026 it carries the new NYRA qualification: the winner earns entry into the Manhattan Stakes in New York — a one-million-dollar prize that represents a genuinely significant international opportunity.
This new international dimension adds specific value to the Huxley Stakes winner that did not exist in previous years. A horse that wins at Chester today potentially earns a transatlantic opportunity worth multiple times the Chester prize money. Connections who have been specifically targeting the Huxley with a horse aimed at the Manhattan route will have prepared specifically for this date and this race.
The Draw on Ladies Day
Thursday's card at Chester includes sprint handicaps where the draw remains the primary variable. The pattern confirmed by Adonius winning from stall 1 yesterday applies to every sprint on today's card. Low draws in sprint races at Chester carry a measurable statistical advantage — the sharp bends mean horses drawn wide travel significantly more ground than those against the rail.
Sky Sports Racing Coverage
Wednesday's card was shown on both ITV and Sky Sports Racing. Thursday and Friday's days are exclusively on Sky Sports Racing — free to air through most broadcast packages. Today's racing at Chester begins in the early afternoon and concludes in the early evening.
The Best Dressed Competition
Ladies Day at Chester includes the Best Dressed Competition in partnership with Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. Prizes include a necklace from Boodles, shopping vouchers, holiday vouchers and Ladbrokes betting vouchers. The competition takes place in the Paddock enclosure.
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Facts verified via web search May 7 2026.