KEMPTON TO CLOSE
KEMPTON PARK racecourse, the historic home of the King George VI Chase, is to be sold for housing and a third racecourse will be built at Newmarket.
The Jockey Club dropped the bombshell yesterday that the King George, the Boxing Day headliner, which has taken place at Kempton since 1937, will be transferred to Sandown, where the race has twice taken place.
Money from the sale of Kempton will fund a new all-weather floodlit racecourse on the Jockey Club’s land at The Links in Newmarket.
Racing will continue to take place at Kempton until at least 2021.
However, the Jockey Club insist Kempton will only be redeveloped if the move will generate in excess of £100m and the proposed Newmarket course is given the green light. Folkestone was the last racecourse to close in 2012 and has been ® developed for housing but Hereford, which closed at the same time, is now back in business.
Racing at Kempton first started in 1878 and has witnessed some historic moments over the years — the mighty Arkle ran his last race at the track and Kauto Star pocketed a record five King George victories.
Clive Smith, the owner of Kauto Star, admitted to being shocked and saddened by the news.“I never thought something like this would happen, but you just never know,” said Smith who had Kauto Star’s’s ashes buried under a statue of the famed horse at Kempton.
“I know housing is a big thing at the moment, as is green space and rising birth rates, and things like that.”
Henrietta Knight won successive renewals of the King George at Kempton with threetime Gold Cup hero Best Mate (2002) and Edredon Bleu (2003). She shares Smith’s views. “I think it’s absolutely tragic,” she said. “I know they don’t get the crowds there for the racing on the all-weather, but Kempton is a huge part of National Hunt racing, especially at Christmas.
“They’ve had the King George at Sandown before and it’s not the same.
“Kempton is so popular as a jumps track and if this happens it will be very sad.
Apart from the King George, Kempton attracts dismal crowds and to keep a racecourse open for one event does not make economic sense.
Mark Tompkins, chairman of the Newmarket Trainers Federation, hailed the proposed introduction of a new all-weather track as “the best thing that has happened to Newmarket in a long time”.
“It is going to take time but this is a marvellous initiative by the Jockey Club. I can’t wait for it to happen,” said Tomkins.
The Jockey Club will request that the King George and a select amount of Kempton’s jumps events be transferred to Sandown.