Ladbrokes Chester Cup Day: get £20 in free bets for day three of the Boodles May Festival

The Chester Cup tops the bill on Friday, and Ladbrokes have a great welcome offer for new customers.

Friday’s racing action reaches its peak with the Ladbrokes Chester Cup (3.05), a fiercely contested staying handicap that’s a highlight of the May Festival. A maximum field of 17 runners is set to go to post, and if you’re looking to have a bet, Ladbrokes have a brilliant sign-up bonus to get you started.

Join Ladbrokes today, bet just £5, and get £20 in free bets to use across horse racing and other sports.

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £20 In Free Bets When You Bet £5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

Ladbrokes Chester Cup favourites

Who's going to win today's Chester Cup? We've listed some of the favourites ahead of the big race, along with the latest odds from Ladbrokes.

How to claim your Ladbrokes Chester Cup betting offer

Getting started is easy. Just follow the steps below to unlock your £20 in free bets ahead of the big race:

1. Head to Ladbrokes and register for a new account
2. Opt in to the welcome offer when prompted
3. Deposit and stake a minimum of £5 on any sportsbook market (min odds 1/2 or greater)
4. Once your qualifying bet settles, receive £20 (4 x £5) in free bets

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £20 In Free Bets When You Bet £5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

Ladbrokes Chester Cup sign-up offer terms and conditions

Here’s a quick rundown of the key terms for Ladbrokes’ Chester Cup welcome bonus:

• 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. 
• Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 
• Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. 
• Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. 
• Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. 
• Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

At the Racing Post, we have put together all of the best horse racing free bets and bookmaker offers for the Qipco Guineas Festival at Newmarket, so take a look as you can claim up to £2,000+ in horse racing bonuses and betting offers.

Chester Cup preview: big field, big questions

A bumper field of 17 is set for the Ladbrokes Chester Cup (3.05), and East India Dock currently leads the market. The four-year-old, trained by James Owen, returns to the Flat after a successful jumps campaign that included a third in the Triumph Hurdle. He lines up in stall six under Harry Davies, who rode last year’s winner Zoffee, also in the mix again from stall four.

Leinster has attracted strong support after his win at the Curragh in March and is drawn well in stall five for Ryan Moore and Joseph O’Brien. The pair teamed up to win this race in 2022.

Owen also runs Charging Thunder and Liam Swagger, while other key players include Who's Glen for Andrew Balding, Hot Fuss, who impressed at Cheltenham, and Caballo De Mar, chasing a sixth straight win.

The draw always plays a part here, and with recent winners emerging from stalls both high and low, there's plenty to analyse ahead of this staying showpiece.

Looking for horse racing tips? Get the best racing picks here. Plus, RP Recommends ranks the top bookmakers and offers across all sports, so you can find the best sites for your bets. Explore our latest recommendations now.

Chester Cup Day full schedule

It’s the final day of the Boodles May Festival at Chester, and Chester Cup Day promises to go out with a bang. Here’s the full schedule: 

Friday, May 9, 2025

• 1.30 - CAA Stellar Earl Grosvenor Handicap
• 2.05 - Boodles Darley EBF Maiden Stakes
• 2.35 - IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes
• 3.05 - Ladbrokes Chester Cup
• 3.40 - Precision Facades Handicap
• 4.10 - Xenon Workplace Apprentice Handicap
• 4.45 - Ladbrokes Get Rewarded With Ladbucks Chester Plate Handicap
• 5.20 - Nyetimber Handicap (GBBPlus Race)

Recommended

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

Get £20 In Free Bets When You Bet £5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

Gambling can be an enjoyable and exciting form of entertainment, but it can also be a serious risk if not done responsibly. It is important to understand the risks associated with gambling and to take steps to minimise them. You can always call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit www.gamstop.co.uk if you need extra help or advice.

Click for more racing free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.