Chester chief executive Richard Thomas will not preside over track's May meeting

While racing professionals and the ITV cameras return to Chester's prestigious May meeting on Wednesday for the first time since 2019, one unexpected absentee will be Richard Thomas, the track's long-standing chief executive.

Thomas has been in the role for more than 20 years and his absence from the biggest three days of the year at Chester may spark speculation over his future.

When contacted by the Racing Post on Tuesday, Chester director and former Ascot chief executive Charles Barnett said: "All I can say at the moment, is that Richard is away from business for personal reasons. We're obviously interested in the next three days and that is the key focus of the business."