Kempton Park under threat

Archie, I'm curious. Why are you supportive of this move? Which positives do you feel outweigh the negatives?
 
I like Down, and I know I have a very different position, but that felt like one of the most lightweight articles he's ever written.
 
I'm curious why AD hasn't "shown up" for two stints on the Sunday Forum on ATR Sunday mornings in recent weeks obviously at short notice. Is he "unwell" again ?
 
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Maruco said:
Archie, I'm curious. Why are you supportive of this move? Which positives do you feel outweigh the negatives?
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It's a while since I've been there but I've been as a pleb, in hospitality and as an owner and found the whole experience mildly depressing. It's an unattractive setting and basically only has the KG as a race worth following. Sandown, on the other hand, is a proper racecourse and, when the facilities are upgraded, would be a perfect NH centre for SE England.
If they can get decent money and use it wisely, they could run the KG at a number of tracks that would provide a similar test while providing a clearly disinterested local population with at least some affordable housing.
 
I don't think this idea will get very far off the ground, let's hope not anyway.

For those who wish to see how an urban/suburban racecourse's future can be secured over the longterm by judicious development of part of the land for housing and retail, look no further than the award-winning Alexandra Park scheme in Auckland, just by the showground and close to Cornwall Park. I know the area well, it's only a half hour or so's stroll from my younger daughter's family in Sandringham on the other side of the Dominion Road.

Try googling alexandra park auckland development.

As for Down's article, I doubt if he can remember writing it.
 
Venusian said:
I don't think this idea will get very far off the ground, let's hope not anyway.

For those who wish to see how an urban/suburban racecourse's future can be secured over the longterm by judicious development of part of the land for housing and retail, look no further than the award-winning Alexandra Park scheme in Auckland, just by the showground and close to Cornwall Park. I know the area well, it's only a half hour or so's stroll from my younger daughter's family in Sandringham on the other side of the Dominion Road.

Try googling alexandra park auckland development.

As for Down's article, I doubt if he can remember writing it.
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When she was a girl Mrs Beeton used to live in the grandstand at Epsom. Not a lot of people know that.
 
There's a faintly hysterical editorial about the Kempton 'saga', by Tom Kerr on the Post website today.

He is apparently Racing Writer of the Year.

I've never heard of him before.
 
Can't agree, CL.

One of his points appears to be that rapacious property developers, in cahoots with JCR executives, are one of the biggest problems in racing. Give me a break.

Another of his points appears to be it's a travesty that only 2x tracks will remain inside the M25 if Kempton closes. Boo-fu*cking-hoo. Besides, who gives a sh*it, if no fu*cker ever goes to the third one, except on Boxing Day?

Another of his points appears to be that the KG will somehow be less of a race, if held at Sandown. It will certainly be a different test, but less of a race? I don't think so. How often do we get to see the top 3m chasers jumping round Sandown (which is a far, far better Jumps course than Kempton)? The answer is never. It's either the Tingle Creek for the speed merchants, or the Whitbread for the boats, with nothing in between. Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing the King George field bearing down on the Railway Fences on the last circuit of a King George.

His boosting of mid-week AW meetings as as welcome escape from oppressive city living, is the stuff of madness, for all of the obvious reasons.

I will be happy if the KG stays at Kempton, but if it does move, then it is not, imo, the portent of doom that this clown, NJ Henderson and others, would have us believe.
 
The King George at Kempton is usually the best chase of the year to watch, and rewards class more consistently than the Gold Cup, which throws up frankly anomalous results from time to time. And horses are able to run in and even win it more than once, unlike the Gold Cup which is very attritional. Moving it to Sandown would make it too similar to the Gold Cup.
 
Spot on Arthur. The race is an absolutely jewel in the calendar that isn't as easily moved and replicated as some would like to believe it is.

Sending the King George to Sandown will make it just another Festival Trial like Haydock or the Cheltenham January meeting, rather than the unique event it currently is.
 
gus said:
Disagree with him, by all means, but there's no call for that.

Play the ball, not the man.
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As a general rule, I'd agree, but he's fair game, had plenty of chances.

You're unlikely to agree I think, but over the many decades I've been following this sport, I've had my fill of ex-public schoolboy "bon viveurs" (that term ok?) in racing journalism, people like Roger Mortimer, Clive Graham, Michael Seely to name three, with their easy charm and reliance on lesser mortals to pick up the pieces in their professional and personal lives. But all frightfully good chaps, eh?
 
Maruco said:
Spot on Arthur. The race is an absolutely jewel in the calendar that isn't as easily moved and replicated as some would like to believe it is.

Sending the King George to Sandown will make it just another Festival Trial like Haydock or the Cheltenham January meeting, rather than the unique event it currently is.
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I strongly disagree that it would be "just another trial'. The timing, history and prestige of the race makes it special, and elevates it beyond that of a mere trial. As far as I recall, I don't remember it diluting the event, the couple of times its been switched to Sandown, due to the weather.

To go back to Art's point, I agree that the KG in its current guise places the emphasis on class, and can generally be considered a very fair test of the top stayers. It also has the added benefit of bringing intermediate stayers into play e.g. Edredon Bleu, Florida Pearl and One Man. To that extent, my preference - as I have already stated - is for the race to remain at Kempton.

But if the race does move to Sandown, it is hardly the abject disaster that elements of the racing press (and some on here) are suggesting it is. A King George run at Sandown would represent a different test, but it's hardly going to discourage the top-horses from running.
 
What marks Kempton out as different, and therefore the King George also, is that it is the only sharp right handed Grade 1 course in the UK. Surely you can see that Nick?

Yes you can argue it just makes it a different test if it's moved to Sandown, but the point is it then becomes a similar test to most of the other Grade 1 three mile chases run here, and therefore it loses its uniqueness.

Isn't uniqueness part of what makes jump racing special? I can only assume you've become a flat convert pining for another dull, characterless bunch of racing on an unneeded AW course at Newmarket?! :lol:
 
If they moved the jump races to Huntingdon or Wincanton, they/it would then be the only sharp right handed Grade 1 course in the UK. What's the difference?
 
Kempton has been subject to repeated vandalism by JCR . Nick Luck pointed out this week that the mid 1990s development made it much less attractive and the stand is like an aircraft hanger .

The the AW track . It is now obvious why they did not keep the Jubilee Course open they always had plans to redevelop that land . I was looking up the Jubilee Course online a couple of years ago and Redrow's website came up and it was plain there were already plans to build houses there

The real problem for Kempton I imagine will not be racing but the planners .JCR don't care what anyone thinks they only care about the bottom line and I think Tom Kerr's criticisms are entirely justified .

The local opposition is fierce . Kempton is green belt land and the guidance against building on the green belt is very strong see paras 69 to 72 National Planning Policy Framework . If the local plan is not changed they will have to appeal to a planning inspector and appeals against refusals to build on the green belt are hard to win moreover if the Secretary of State calls in the application under pressure from local Tory MPs ...

I have an idea for the BHA let JCR build their new AW track at Newmarket as frankly they are so Newmarket biased on condition they restore Kempton's turf flat course !
 
Maruco said:
What marks Kempton out as different, and therefore the King George also, is that it is the only sharp right handed Grade 1 course in the UK. Surely you can see that Nick?

Yes you can argue it just makes it a different test if it's moved to Sandown, but the point is it then becomes a similar test to most of the other Grade 1 three mile chases run here, and therefore it loses its uniqueness.

Isn't uniqueness part of what makes jump racing special? I can only assume you've become a flat convert pining for another dull, characterless bunch of racing on an unneeded AW course at Newmarket?! :lol:
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Would you advocate moving the Tingle Creek to Kempton, to afford 2m chasers a different test to that which they get in the Champion Chase? Of course you wouldn't.

Is the Tingle Creek any less 'unique' because it's run on a stiff track? Of course it's not.

I'm all for keeping the race at Kempton, but there's a lot of misty-eyed bollocks being spouted on this subject. Either that, or am I soul-less bas*tard (10/11 the pair).
 
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