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Matt Chapman just said Kempton is being sold and the jockey club says it may build a new all weather track at Newmarket.
King George to move to Sandown
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/kempton-to-close-under-shock-jockey-club-plans/2226061/
There is no way they can spin this as anything other than a blow to jumps racing. It will be the King George in name only. Not the same race.
Stunned by the news, I know many people don’t like Kempton and while I don’t go racing anymore I will really miss the course. In my view the all weather ruined Kempton but don’t suppose many people agree with me.
I personally would run the King George VI Chase at Ascot but know that will never happen. Its good news for Sandown though question how much more racing that track can hold and overall this is bad news for jumps racing. A sad day
Jockey Club trying to blame the Royal Charter.
Jockey Club chief executive Simon Bazalgette admitted his organisation was braced for a backlash.
Roger Weatherby, senior steward at the Jockey Club, added: The Jockey Club is governed by Royal Charter to act for the long-term good of British Racing.
‘One of the ways we want to live up to that is through a series of projects that offer benefits all around the country and collectively add up to us contributing more than half a billion pounds to the sport over the next decade from its grassroots to top level.
‘We must show leadership with the assets we have and, where merited, take tough decisions to help our sport to keep moving forwards.
‘The decision to submit our estate at Kempton Park for consideration in the Local Plan is unique and has not been taken lightly. Our Board of Stewards are horsemen and, having carefully considered what we can achieve in the long-run from doing so, are unanimously of the view that British Racing is better served by us doing so.
‘Horsemen and customers alike will enjoy the benefit of numerous projects nationwide that result from the record investment proposals we unveil today, which include investments at each of our racecourses and training grounds throughout the country.’
Sad news. Best make the effort to get to one before 2021 I guess.
King George I mean in case it wasn’t clear.
Good decision. It’s flat oval with little interest and were it not for the KG, not an eyelash would be batted.
Sandown will make a much better venue for the King George.
Good decision. It’s flat oval with little interest and were it not for the KG, not an eyelash would be batted.
Sandown will make a much better venue for the King George.
I agree, reasonably boring track which other than Christmas offers poor racing throughout the year, the other jumps fixtures are average while the all weather racing is easily moved elsewhere. Its never nice to see tradition going but times change and it obviously wasn’t just a decision they took lightly. The figures must have made sense or else they wouldn’t be proposing it
I’m with Steeplechasing
It’s a shame to lose any track but if a Grade 1 has to go then Kempton would be my pick. It has no distinguishing features that mark it out as a noteworthy test that couldn’t be replicated elsewhere and outwith the KG meeting there isn’t really very much that would be missed. Wincanton would be my choice to pick what cream there is as it’s a similarly undistinguished speedy flat track with decent fences; but that’s wishful thinking, admittedly
Sure there’s ‘historic’ races run on the Flat such as the Queen’s Prize and Rosebery but they’ve been AW for many years anyway, so really qualify for the epithet ‘what’s in a name’ and could transfer anywhere you like
Hope they build some affordable homes on this brown-n-greenfield urban site for the otherwise unmortgageable in the ludicrously pricey south-east
I’m with Steeplechasing
Sure there’s ‘historic’ races run on the Flat such as the Queen’s Prize and Rosebery but they’ve been AW for many years anyway, so really qualify for the epithet ‘what’s in a name’ and could transfer anywhere you like
I wonder where they will “transfer” the statues and ashes of our great champions Dessie and Kauto
Too put this bluntly this is the jockey club moving its all weather to a estate it already owns, selling Kempton for a good profit and also saying to Arena Leisure you may own most of the all weather tracks but we are going to own the big one.
Questions that need to be asked, will having all weather at Newmarket affect the reputation of the course, as we know how all weather is seen on this forum.
Is the replacing of an all weather with another all weather worth the effort.
What other courses do the jockey club think are worth selling off, a few years ago it was the Reuben Brothers who were expected to sell their estates off when they took over Arena Leisure.
What happens to Kempton if the all weather at Newmarket is not approved or the council will not allow the course to be sold to developers?
I’d bet all I have that the ends have all been tied up quietly already with councillors, planners and whoever else might stand in the way.
I’d bet all I have that the ends have all been tied up quietly already with councillors, planners and whoever else might stand in the way.
You mean the brown envelope has exchanged hands…..allegedly
Jockey Club claims it puts all its profits back into racing, so anything they get from this SHOULD go towards the other 14 courses they own and hopefully see them improve.
However the question is if they are making a good profit from their courses why do they need the extra money by selling off Kempton, is it really not viable if it isn’t what can they so to make it viable without getting rid of it.
I wonder if the jockey club might look to buy an independent course that they can make work as I am surprised they want to reduce their course numbers, I think they last course they acquired was Exeter I wouldn’t be surprised if they go shopping.
Well I’m stunned by some of the attitudes on here,perhaps because Kempton is such a special place for me.
I grew up within 5 minutes walk of the course and have had some absolutely magical times there.Florida Pearl,Best mate,Kicking King and of course the greatest of them all,King Kauto of Kempton.Without the place I would probably never have been bitten by the racing bug.
Also,and I will tell you this for certain,the last thing the area needs is more housing.The local infrastructure will simply not be able to cope,especially since they knocked down the London Irish training ground a few years ago to put up more luxury flats.
This is nothing more than a fundraising exercise for the BHA at the expense of history.
What’s next,rip up Cheltenham and run the races at Stratford instead?
Shameful.
I have always believed that there are too many tracks, why not make more use of Ascot, Sandown, Newbury and others, (although I do not think Sandown is big enough to bump up and awful journey full of traffic). Use the home of jumps racing more – Cheltenham, why not make more of other facilities. Horses travel far too much in this country to race, make more of what we have. With fields of 2 and 3 at Kempton the other week what do we expect, ultimately.
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