Now there are even more reasons to visit Chester races this season after a £2m investment in new facilities including a giant finishing post video screen.

There has been a total refurbishment of the County Stand and Long Room which features new glass panelling to the roof, new bars, flooring and toilets using natural colours and textiles to create a contemporary look and feel.

And the champagne garden and bar is also undergoing a luxurious transformation in time for the Boodles May Festival, which runs between May 6-8, with pre-sale demand for tickets very high with Boodles Ladies Day on Thursday May 7 and Boodles City Day on Friday May 8 ‘close to selling out’.

A new video screen is planned by the winning post at Chester Racecourse

Tickets are available for all areas on Chester Cup Day on Wednesday May 6, with celebrities and footballers expected to be among the crowds during the whole meeting which attracts many punters from Liverpool and Manchester.

Race company chief executive Richard Thomas said: “As every year, there’s always something new, something innovative.

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“This year we’ve refurbished the County Stand. We’ve got a great card of racing. We’ve got a new champagne bar for people to see. We’ve got an interactive winning post so I think there’s a lot for race-goers to come to Chester and see something that’s different from last year.”

Speaking on the roof terrace of the Race Company’s 1539 restaurant, which hosted a reception for Labour leader Ed Miliband on Saturday, he added: “It’s a very fine balance between disruption and what the races and other events bring to the city but obviously every hotel room, every bar, every restaurant, is full for the whole of the May meeting and beyond so it’s really good to see the hotel room rates are up in Chester and people are really benefiting from our race-goers who are coming to visit the city.”

Mr Thomas, who is more of a businessman than a racing fanatic himself, commented: “I like racing but the bit that interests me most is running the business.

“Racing is a great sport and it’s a great opportunity to get people to interact and that’s really what drives the business.”

Does he ever have a bet? “No, we are now bookmakers and I know who wins! It is fun, but if you ever believe you’re going to make money out of betting on a racecourse – there are only a few people who make money out of betting. I’m convinced of that.”