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If this turns out to be true then I need to quote CAS as being the reason for why I have to drag the family 200 miles south on Boxing Day this year! Maybe my last chance to see the king George in person.
As for its future. It’s not going to go to a non JCR track and they don’t have any suitable tracks in their portfolio for anything approaching a like for like swap at a grade one track.
I wouldn’t be adverse to having it at Huntingdon though! Already races on Boxing Day and you always get good finishes there. Short run in after the last would definitely make it exciting to the casual tv viewer who’s full to the gills on mince pies and egg nog!
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It was something said on a podcast. Nothing has been said officially.
Although Keys did seem certain and, as Kendicate said, his scoops have been right before.
Saw you tube of an urban explorer at Folkestone a while back , nothing done with track , all buildings still there , overgrown and derelict but still there , paddock still fences standing . Weird closed and abandoned .
UK doing ok , ive been following racing since 82 , lost Hereford Folkestone in that time , gained Hereford , Ffos Las , Chelmsford so well in credit unless ive missed another closure . Chelmsford looks nice but stand in middle just odd , i know they plan a proper stand at some stage .
Point to Points seem to close then pop up elsewhere , Buckfastleigh intetesting , old stand covered in tree/bush growth but still there .
USA closing quite a few .
As for OZ , 360 courses ( a number once a year bush tracks ) but not many closures you hear off .
Sydney shows health sport there , all four tracks in city limits with close rail stations , same as Melbournes three . Real estate value be in the billions , all still race no issues , and very modern bar The Valley in Melbourne that closes for total rebuild next year .Thanks CAS forgot about Towcester , worrying for my mind that I forgot as went there plenty , just close enough for trip up to evening meetings from London . Uphill all the way home off the bend and good viewing , shame it went .
Towcester is still open as a greyhound racing venue. The home of the Greyhound Derby, no less. But the horse racing circuit stands idle.
I suppose there have been some partial closures as well. Wolverhampton and Nottingham giving up National Hunt, Warwick stopping its Flat racing. Although Wetherby has introduced a few Flat meetings.
Kempton has never been the same since they put in the A/W course, and got rid of the Jubilee course. Still, it would be a shame to lose it – and what to do with the big Christmas meeting?
It’s a right handed ‘speed’ track, and offers a contrast with Cheltenham – so you’d want to move it to a similar type track; Sandown is often soft/heavy at that time of year, so shouldn’t even be considered.
While JCR stage The King George,do they own it or the BHA?
Ascot should be it’s new home as it could cope with big crowds better than Sandown,but will it want to give up its lucrative pre-Christmas meeting to do so?Lifelong resident of a neighbouring town, Ashford. The residents of Sunbury would fight the Jockey Club on this. It would be suicide for Spelthorne Council to approve the sale. Especially as the wealthy areas of Lower Sunbury would be affected.
Regular attendees will also know that the road infrastructure from the course to Hampton Court is congested most weekends, and with a water treatment plant and the Thames on one side, and Bushy Park on the other, widening isn’t going to happen.The latest on Kempton Park. It doesn’t sound quite as certain about closure as Keys and the Barstewards were but it is by no means safe.
Looking more likely to go now , be a real shame . It was looking a bit shabby last time I was there 3 years back , not as shabby as Callens ride in he last that night though . A good clean of the bird **** and dirt off seats would be a start and only really some fresh paint .
I always enjoyed trips to Kempton , he a real shame if it goes .
Does Aintree and Cheltenham really need millions pumped in at the cost of losing Kempton . I’ve never been Aintree and last time I was at Cheltenham was 99 so not up to date , but both look decent enough what I’ve seen online and TV .Yes, it looks like Kempton’s days are numbered. Especially as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is about to become law will as good as remove the local council’s ability to object.
The King George at Aintree in 2026?
Obviously, its bad news when any racecourse shuts and Kempton is high profile. Worse still that a historical race such as the King George loses its home, a lot of history will go with it. But….
It does look tatty. The atmosphere looks poor and apart from Boxing Day it doesn’t seem very well supported.
If the worst happens I would much rather it gets located to Doncaster rather than give Aintree another day. Aintree already has the festival and is synonymous with the National – let is stay that way.
Donnie is a great course; it’s a speed track which drains well so generally gets good ground. Great location (well, I’d go as I don’t imagine they’ll put it on at Sedgefield!). Isn’t a RH track, but then again neither is Aintree.
Well I’m certainly beginning to feel vindicated now! And only last week I was being chastised by the mother in law and having questions thrown at me about whether they had actually announced it was closing yet!
This will be my first and seemingly last visit to the track and whilst I’m looking forward to it as it could be a modern classic if they all line up like the betting has them, most people you listen to both on here and on telly say it’s a bit of a dump. It’s clearly had nothing spent on it recently as those in charge knew this day was coming sooner rather than later.
I’m personally of the opinion that the race should probably just be consigned to history now. You’re not going to replicate the conditions of Kempton at winter at any other track.
Maybe create a new race and incorporate Newbury/ascot/windsor into a new 3 day winter Berkshire festival over 3 days from Boxing Day to the challow.
Not another festival every meeting these days seems to have festival attached to it.
The more I know the less I understand.
Looking forward to a King George at Aintree with no park&ride no silver ring,£40 to park £100 to access the roof terrace And 9 fences taken out due to the low sun.
In my view it is certain Kempton Park will close within 5 years. A good thing in my view. I remember the days when this course had one of the best turf tracks in the country, but they dug it up build an all-weather track. Now apart from the Boxing Day card, they serve up a menu of dross, more dross and even more dross. Attend any one of their dross meetings and stop anyone at random. The odds for who you have stopped at randon: 10/11 syndicate owner, 6/4 trainer and 5/2 ordinary racegoer. The point I am making is that ordinary racegoers are just not interested. The course is very tired; there is little evidence of any money being spent on it. There cannot be a future.
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