'It will probably be the biggest drop in attendance we've seen' - Chester 'very aggrieved' at evening slot on Super Saturday

'Early indications are that the crowds were about level with last year or slightly up'

Chester: track welcomed a crowd of just under 20,000 on Super Saturday last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Chester officials are bracing themselves for a significant drop in attendance on Saturday after the fixture was moved outside of Premier racing's primetime afternoon slot.

The track's chief executive Louise Stewart is expecting the crowd to be down by a quarter with Chester the main victim of the decluttering of meetings on a day that has become known as 'Super Saturday'.

The three fixtures at Newmarket, York and Ascot form the action in the 'two-hour protected window' between 2pm and 4pm, devised to focus attention on the best racing and boost betting turnover and marketing opportunities.

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Andrew DietzReporter

Published on 8 July 2024inBritain

Last updated 19:29, 8 July 2024

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