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Very good post cav. As you rightly point out there have been some naive comments about this being some sort of done deal. Even more laughable are the comments about mthecourse being “featureless” to quote basil fawly. What do you want? Hanging gardens of Babylon? Sydney opera house?? Im there to watch racing. If various billynomates need something else to look at to pass the time then watch the planes go in and out of heathrow
It’s my local course and I grew up right next to it. Still live 7minute drive away so naturally as a jumps member I’m pretty pissed off about this but either way Nicky eloquently nailed the issues here and shames those that claim to love the U.K. Jumping game
There is no way sandown will easily take more fixtures. The two days at Xmas followed by the tolworth are not going to work. As has rightly been pointed out no amount of “investment” is going to change the ground. And this is the key point. The ground at kempton for jumps racing is the best in the country (bar Doncaster maybe). So many winters it’s been just about the only course with decent going available for weeks on end. A wet winter can decimate sandown full stop
To lose a course with that priceless asset is criminal. Of course we are going to get the miserablists and the cost of everything val he of nothing merchants piping up but they cannot genuinely love the sport
But the good news is that this is going to be fought very hard. spelthorne will not be changing their Colours any time in the future and I suspect that the backlash has been more than expected.
Thanks for the link to the jolly good Luck interview
It would appear that there was a touch of ‘post truth’ about yesterday’s headlines and messages. Far from it being a done deal it it seems it’s little more than an idea that’s got to be agreed by any number of bodies before being given the go-ahead, not least the greenbelt lobby
It might be 2021 at the earliest, probably later, possibly not at all seemed to be the gist of Mr Bazalgette’s words
2025 perhaps: that historic year when HS2 part one steams into action and the foundation stones are laid on Dessie’s ashes at Kempton
I’ll lay 7 Pork Scratchings to 2 Black Puddings the Double
Is Simon Bazalgette a descendent of the bloke who laid the sewers in London? Money well spent, that
They have been battling with spelthorne for over ten years to sell some of the course. Unsuccessfully too
It will never happen anyway. Kempton is always well supported by owners,trainers,punters and the viewing public as it is a London track. Some people are just trying to make some cash for themselves from the housing developers. But it is all just a load of hot air. Sandown would fail miserably to take on extra meetings and crowds,the ground is rarely decent in the winter there either. Plus the fact, first of all there were big plans for an, in the air, all weather track to be built next to the Rowley mile,ruining the gallops, here at Newmarket, now they say it`s going to be on the links !!! wiping out the golf course and causing massive traffic jams on race days no doubt. It really is all up in the air stuff and very pie in the sky.
Very good post cav. As you rightly point out there have been some naive comments about this being some sort of done deal. Even more laughable are the comments about mthecourse being “featureless” to quote basil fawly. What do you want? Hanging gardens of Babylon? Sydney opera house?? Im there to watch racing. If various billynomates need something else to look at to pass the time then watch the planes go in and out of heathrow
It’s my local course and I grew up right next to it. Still live 7minute drive away so naturally as a jumps member I’m pretty pissed off about this but either way Nicky eloquently nailed the issues here and shames those that claim to love the U.K. Jumping game
There is no way sandown will easily take more fixtures. The two days at Xmas followed by the tolworth are not going to work. As has rightly been pointed out no amount of “investment” is going to change the ground. And this is the key point. The ground at kempton for jumps racing is the best in the country (bar Doncaster maybe). So many winters it’s been just about the only course with decent going available for weeks on end. A wet winter can decimate sandown full stop
To lose a course with that priceless asset is criminal. Of course we are going to get the miserablists and the cost of everything val he of nothing merchants piping up but they cannot genuinely love the sport
But the good news is that this is going to be fought very hard. spelthorne will not be changing their Colours any time in the future and I suspect that the backlash has been more than expected.
No good insulting everybody who disagrees with you Clive.
Sorry you are going to lose a much loved local course if this goes ahead. If money were no object then I’d love racecourses within walking distance of everyone. Unfortunately it’s unsustainable and sometimes things need to be done for the greater good of Racing as a whole.Value Is EverythingSince when is it “unsustainable?” . Do you have the management accounts to hand??? The jockey club has said the opposite (in fairness to them) bu rightly are being asked why they can’t let go of a couple of Stubbs paintings worth tens of millions rather than a racecourse.?
As for those who say “I wouldn’t miss it” well I wouldn’t “miss” Ayr leopardstown and happy valley but it’s hardly the point is it.
Fair enough, Clive. I still miss Lanark
I wonder if a major financial blunder was the catalyst here? JCR raised £45m to fund Cheltenham’s new stand. £25m of that was via a ‘mini-bond’, the terms of which were:
The Jockey Club’s 7.75 percent interest Racecourse Bond offered 4.75 percent cash interest and 3 percent in Rewards4Racing points
I know nowt about investments, but isn’t that rate quite high? The terms were ‘a minimum of £2,000 for at least 5 years’ The bond was announced in early 2013.
This is from “Get Surrey” of whom some of you might be interested:
It will never happen anyway. Kempton is always well supported by owners,trainers,punters and the viewing public as it is a London track.
Jumps trainers like the going on the flat oval and field sizes are generally OK.
However , aside of the KG Xmas meeting , attendances are sparse and the track has never connected with nor been supported by the local community.
Attendances are poor, especially for the AW and the place is soulless and half closed already.thats wrong. Whilst no one will claim it’s the same attraction as ascot the weekend jumps fixtures are not “sparsely attended” at all and a couple of the aw days are pretty busy.
Fair enough, Clive. I still miss Lanark
I wonder if a major financial blunder was the catalyst here? JCR raised £45m to fund Cheltenham’s new stand. £25m of that was via a ‘mini-bond’, the terms of which were:
The Jockey Club’s 7.75 percent interest Racecourse Bond offered 4.75 percent cash interest and 3 percent in Rewards4Racing points
I know nowt about investments, but isn’t that rate quite high? The terms were ‘a minimum of £2,000 for at least 5 years’ The bond was announced in early 2013.
That’s a very high rate of return…
They have been battling with spelthorne for over ten years to sell some of the course. Unsuccessfully too
I thought that was the case. I still think this could be a negotiating tactic to force the council to ok this original plan.
I’m going to get my eyes checked as I’m sure that Kempton is a triangular course but everyone else seems to think it’s an oval.
As for crowds at Kempton’s AW meetings I don’t think any of the midweek fixtures at any of the AW tracks attract good attendances and Newmarket’s AW track will be run to rake in levy payments and media rights rather than racegoers.
An all-weather track at Newmarket! Great. Can’t you just see the crowds jamming the A14,M11 etc. to witness this pulsating sporting spectacle at a venue custom-made for the spectator!
Newmarket: Apart from perhaps Dartmoor, you’d be hard-pushed to think of a worse place in England to attract a decent crowd for run-of-the-mill fare. They’d have to stage a Rolling Stone’s concert after the racing to get over 200 paying customers!Where are Racing UK in all of this (other than Nick Luck’s interview)? Do they not claim to own the courses from which they broadcast, so are they not part of JCR??
steeplechasing wrote:
Fair enough, Clive. I still miss Lanark
I wonder if a major financial blunder was the catalyst here? JCR raised £45m to fund Cheltenham’s new stand. £25m of that was via a ‘mini-bond’, the terms of which were:
The Jockey Club’s 7.75 percent interest Racecourse Bond offered 4.75 percent cash interest and 3 percent in Rewards4Racing points
I know nowt about investments, but isn’t that rate quite high? The terms were ‘a minimum of £2,000 for at least 5 years’ The bond was announced in early 2013.
That’s a very high rate of return…
It looks a high rate of return now but looked just on the right side of generous when it was issued. I remember someone from Hargreaves Lansdown saying what a poor deal it would be for investors
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