Kempton Park under threat

Diamond Geezer

Diamond Geezer

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Kempton set to close and new all-weather circuit at Newmarket to be built under Jockey Club plans.


King George to move to Sandown Park as of 2022
 
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all about the money

acres and acres of land in a relatively nice area of SW London. Will probably be 10,000 houses on it
 
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Totally shocked to hear this. I suppose, if I'm honest it isn't somewhere that I ever go to, being a northerner, but all that history etc. Who's going to go to Newmarket, though? If we do go there it has to be a stay of a few days, not a day out at the races.
 
No great loss imo

Fook all happens at Kempton apart from boxing day anyway, and Sandown park is a much better track for the King George

An A.W track in Newmarket is logical as well as three was too many in the London area anyway
 
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A real shame, as Kempton is much different test for a racehorse, than you get at most other jumps tracks, and diversity is to be welcomed, imo.

Sandown has been a good back-up-venue for the race on occasion, and to be perfectly honest with you, it might actually turn out to be a better race hosted there - though admittedly this is probably a matter of personal taste.

Whilst not exactly great news, the contingency plan is at least a good one.
 
Stephen's Day will be not be the same again; it was a cracking test for horse and rider.
Thoug.
Thought it was April 1 when I saw the headline on Facebook
Glad i will have memories of the track, must get there before it closes !
 
I thought Jockey Club Racecourses existed in order to save places like Kempton from the bulldozer, not push them under it.
 
Perpetual said:
all about the money

acres and acres of land in a relatively nice area of SW London. Will probably be 10,000 houses on it
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Precisely, there was an inevitability about this - one day

Kempton's got a massive footprint, easy access to airport and M25, it even has a water feature that can be incorporated into the residential scheme
 
Warbler said:
Precisely, there was an inevitability about this - one day

Kempton's got a massive footprint, easy access to airport and M25, it even has a water feature that can be incorporated into the residential scheme
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and they are building a new AW just an hour down the road from Great Leighs. arseholes (jockey club). In 20 years we will probably have about 5 NH tracks. 4 Flat turfs tracks and a dozen AW.
 
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I'm unsure as to the extent of the Jockey's club ownership but if you take the rough extent of the racecourse minus the water you're sitting on about 65-70 hectares. That's capable of delivering 2500-3000 houses. At current land values, especially in that location, that's probably worth pushing towards a billion quid.

It's worth noting that a call for sites is a long, long way away from realisation.
 
I think the move to Sandown will negatively impact the possibility of fast 2 mile horses throwing a shape at a 3 miler. We might get Douvan V T-Craic at Kemptom - less likely at Sandown.
 
an capall said:
I think the move to Sandown will negatively impact the possibility of fast 2 mile horses throwing a shape at a 3 miler. We might get Douvan V T-Craic at Kemptom - less likely at Sandown.
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With regards to the KG quite posisbly, but then I expect it won't be long before someone says why don't we roll the Tingle Creek card back 3 weeks and create a three day winter festival. The only thing missing really is a Gd1 staying hurdle, which Ascot has in mid December if they could be persuaded to release it
 
Actually this proposal is a disgrace. Most of you are being too nice, there should be outrage.

The King George is usually the most exciting chase to watch all season, bar none. Desert Orchid and Kauto Star made their hall of fame reputations there. There have been many other epic performances from the likes of Captain Christy, Harchibald, Long Run. It is a track that brings out the best in horses and produces great racing.

The track is owned by the very body which is supposed to care most about such things.
 
It is never good to see a big racecourse go under - in years to come money will be gone (wasted to a high %) and only memories will live

Losing the Phoenix Park racecourse was a shame too
 
The only people to benefit are those in Newmarket. Everyone else loses, and in my opinion, racing loses too despite what's being claimed. Great Leighs is down the road so the region doesn't need another AW course.

I'd imagine very few outside of Newmarket, with connections to Newmarket, or have a financial interest in this would be supporters.

Other things to consider are its not simply a case of shifting the jumps fixtures to Sandown. The ground at Sandown will only take so much racing if they are to keep their reputation, and simply it could not take the extra fixtures and remain fit for purpose.

Also the catchment for both courses is roughly forty percent of the population so it can hardly be claimed that the area is overly populated with racecourses despite them only being a few miles apart. Anyway that's irrelevant given they are such different tests.

I'm with Grey, they should be feeling some backlash over this rather than getting away with the very obvious spin they're putting on it.
 
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Am I right in thinking they use the hurdles course at Sandown for the flat also, so it's always softer? If that's the case they should have the Xmas Hurdle and good novice events elsewhere.
 
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