May Festival 16

Boodles May Festival

May Festival is the largest racing event in Chester Racecourse’s calendar and kicks off Chester's race season in May with three days of racing.

Six variations of the artwork were released every week from six weeks before the start of May Festival, all the way up to the main event. Each artwork signified something about racing at Chester, with the Boodles Racing Lockup and diamond graphic.

Work completed; May 2016

Artwork one; The wait is over; Using a countdown from 219 (amount of days since the last time Chester had raced the year before), and imagery of the County Stand with the crowd cheering, whilst the horses cross the finishing post. Looking back … — **Artwork one; The wait is over;** Using a countdown from 219 (amount of days since the last time Chester had raced the year before), and imagery of the County Stand with the crowd cheering, whilst the horses cross the finishing post. Looking back at the previous year with imagery of the winner of the year before’s best dressed, and one of the jockey who won one of the races at the previous festival,

Artwork two: Celebrate traditions; The old; Chester Racecourse’s oldest trophy, the Roodee Cup from 1533. It’s known for the start of what was to become of what is now one of the UK’s oldest Racecourses, this trophy is still raced for every May… — **Artwork two: Celebrate traditions;** The old; Chester Racecourse’s oldest trophy, the Roodee Cup from 1533. It’s known for the start of what was to become of what is now one of the UK’s oldest Racecourses, this trophy is still raced for every May Festival. The new; friends, families making new traditions by coming to the races.

Artwork Three; Memory making; memory making for the winners and the losers; the jockeys and the racegoers — **Artwork Three;** Memory making; memory making for the winners and the losers; the jockeys and the racegoers

Artwork four; Experience matters; This alludes to the technicalities of the track at Chester, with it being a tight track with sharp turns, having a jockey with experience of riding the track helps. It also describes the experience of the racegoers,… — **Artwork four; Experience matters;** This alludes to the technicalities of the track at Chester, with it being a tight track with sharp turns, having a jockey with experience of riding the track helps. It also describes the experience of the racegoers, with Chester having a reputation of having good hospitality and being a great day out.

Artwork five; Upping the stakes; Chester is a entry race to Epsom so the stakes can be high for the owners and trainers, also Boodles May Festival is the most formal event in Chester’s calendar. — **Artwork five; Upping the stakes;** Chester is a entry race to Epsom so the stakes can be high for the owners and trainers, also Boodles May Festival is the most formal event in Chester’s calendar.

Artwork six; Come to life; The last piece of artwork signifying the Racecourse coming back to life after the winter break, the atmosphere and crowds returning, and the flowers starting to bloom in the Racecourse. — **Artwork six; Come to life;** The last piece of artwork signifying the Racecourse coming back to life after the winter break, the atmosphere and crowds returning, and the flowers starting to bloom in the Racecourse.