The Chester Cup was run in 1824 as the Tradesmen's Cup with a prize of 100 guineas the winner was Imari to the back centre of the picture .

Hemingway

"OF ST. GEORGE'S RACE, OF LATE TIME INVENTED, AND WHEN ALTERED.

In A. D. 1609, Mr. William Leicester, mercer, beinge mayor of Chester, one Mr. Robert Amerye, ironmonger, sometime sherife of Chester (A. D. 1608), he, with the assente of the mayor and cittie, at his own coste chiefly, as I conceive, caused three silver cupps of good value to be made, the whiche saide silver cupps were, upon St. George's daye, for ever to be thus disposed:

all gentlemen that woulde bringe their horses to the Rood-dee that daye, and there rune, that horse which with spede did over-rune the reste, shoulde have the beste cuppe there presently delivered, and that horse which came seconde, next the firste, before the reste, had the seconde cuppe there also delivered; and for the third cuppe, it was to be rune for at the ringe, by any gentleman that would rune for the same, upon the said Roode-dee, and upon St. George's daye, being thus decreed, that every horse putt in soe much money as made the value of the cupps or bells, and had the money, which horses did winne the same, and the use of the cupps, till that daye twelve month, being in bond to deliver in the cupps that daye; soe also for the cuppe for the ringe, which was yearely continued accordingly, untill the yeare of our Lord 1623; John Brereton, inn-holder being mayor of Chester, he altered the same after this manner, and caused the three cupps to be sould, and caused more money to be gathered and added, so that the intereste thereof woulde make one faire silver cuppe, of the value of 8 l. as I suppose, it maye be wore worth, and the race to be altered viz. from beyonde the New Tower a great distance, and soe to rune five times from that place rownd about the Rood-dee, and he that overcame all the rest the last course, to have the cuppe freely for ever, then and there delivered, which is continued to this daye.

But here I must not omitt the charge, and the solemnitie made, the first St. George's daye; he had a poet, one Mr. Davies, whoe, made speeches and poeticale verses, which were delivered at the high-crosse, before the mayor and aldermen, with shewes of his invention, which booke was imprinted and presented to that famous Prince Henry, eldest sonne to the blessed King James, of famous memorie. Alsoe,

Mr. Amorye himself, it appears, was the writer of the following description of this show, which is copied from some Cheshire collections among the Harleian MISS (No. 2150). It appears from his account, that instead of three cups, as stated by Mr. Rogers, the prizes that year were two bells and one cup.

"The maner of the showe, that is, if God spare life and health, shall be seen by all the behoulders upon St. George's day next, being the 23rd of April, 1610, and the same with more additions to continue, being for the kyng's crowne sad dignitie, and the homage to the kyng and prynce, with that noble victor St. George to be continued for ever. - God save the kyng.
"Item.-Two men in greene liveries, set with worke upon their other habet, with blacke heare, and blacke beards, var ougly to behould, and garlands upon their heads, with fir-works to scatter abroad, to maintaine way for the rest of the showe.
"It - One on horsebacke, with the buckler and head-piece of' St. George, and three men to guide him, with a drum before him, for the honor of Englande.
"It - One on horsebacke called Fame, with a trumpet in his hand, and three men to guide him, and be to make an oration, with his habit in pompe.
" It. -.One called Mercury, to descend from above in a cloude; his wings, and all other matters, in pompe, and heavenly musicke with him; and after his oration spoken, to ryde on horsebacke, with his musicke before hym.
"It - One called Chester, with an oration, and drums before him, his habit in pompe.
"It - One on horsebacke, with the kynge's armes upon a shield, in pompe.
"It - One on horsebacke, containing the kynge's crowne and dignity, with an oration, in pompe.
"It - .One on honebaeke, with a bell, dedicated to the kynge, being double gilt, with the kynge's armes upon it, carried upon a septer, in pomp,' and before him a. noise of trumpets, in pompe.
"lt - One on horsebacke, with an oration for the prynce, in pompe.
"It - One on horsebacke, with the bell, dedicated to the prynce, hia armes upon it, in pomp; and to be carried on a septer, and before the bell a noise of trumpets .
"1t - .One on horsebacke, with the cup for St. George, carried upon a septer, In pomp
" It - One on horsebacke, with a oration for St. George, in pomp
"lt - St. George himself en horsebacke, in complete armor, with his flag and buckler, in pompe, and before him a noyse of drums.
"It - One on horsebacke, called Peace, with an oration, in pompe
"lt - One on horsebacke, called Plentey, with an oration, in pompe
"It - .One on horseback; called Envy, with an oration, whom. Love will comfort, in pompe. He caused a man to goe upon the spire of St. Peter's steeple, in Chester, and by the fane, at the same time he sownded a drum, and displayed a baner upon the top of the same spire. And this was the original of St. George's race, with the change thereof, as it is now used. Also
the said Mr. Robert Amorye caused the jacks or boyes, which strike quarterly at St. Peters, at High Crosse, to lie made and erected in A. D. 1612."
Among the corporation records are some old articles of a race for two bells and likewise for a cup to be run for at the ring: the bell appears to have been first given as a prize at the horse races at Chester, in 1512. From this early custom of running for a bell as a prize, may probably have arisen the very common proverb, "to bear the bell"
In the year 1629, the companies contributed to St. Georges race, to make up a sum of money; in 1640 the sheriffs gave a piece of plate of £13 6s 8d value, to be run for on Easter Tuesday in lieu of the sheriff's breakfast .

" It - One on horsebacke, called Love, with an oration to maintaine all, in pompe.

"It - The maior and his brethren, at the time pentes. of this citye, with their best apparell, and in scarlet; and all the orations to be made before him, and scene at the high-crosse, as they passe to the Roodye, when by gent.shall be runne for bytheirr horses; for the two bells on a double staffe,and the cuppe to be runne for at the rynge, in the same place by the gent. And with a greater mater of the showe by armes, and shott, and with more than I can recyte, with a banket after in the pentys to make welcome the gent.; and when all is done, then judge what you have scene, and so speake on your mynd, as you fynd - the actor for the presente,
Robert Amorye "

"Amor is love, and Amorye is his name,
That did begin this pompe and prynceley game;
The charge is great to him that all begun,
Who now is satisfied to see all so well done."

In 1612, it was ordered, "that the sports and recreations used on St. George's.day, should in future be done by the direction of the mayor and citizens and not of any private person."