THOUSANDS of racegoers descended on Chester Racecourse on Saturday for the City Wall Stakes Day.

The event saw six races held at the Roodee, including two broadcast live on Channel 4.

Richard Thomas, chief executive of Chester Race Company, said: "We had 32,221 people here on Saturday which is a 4% increase on last year and a record for this fixture.

"The live coverage of the two listed races is very important for Chester as it shows the city in such good light on a national stage."

Rob March, marketing and communications manager for Chester Race Company, said: "These kind of attendance figures are phenomenal, especially in the current climate."