KEMPTON PARK – THE home of the King George VI Chase – is set to be bulldozed for housing under new plans revealed today by owner Jockey Club Racecourses.
The radical proposal to close one of England’s most famous racecourses is part of a scheme to invest £500 million in British racing, and would see the Kempton Park race meetings moved to Sandown Park and a potential new floodlit all-weather course in Newmarket.
The Jockey Club have insisted that it will be ‘business as usual’ this year at Kempton Park, which is located in south-west London, with the scheduled 71 racing fixtures still penciled in to take place.
They envisage that even if the potential development is given the green light, racing will not stop at Kempton Park until 2021.
But the decision is still set to spark plenty of debate with the King George meeting on December 26 one of the most eagerly-awaited in racing.
The race was won most recently by Thistlecrack, the current favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Previous winners of the race at Kempton Park include Kauto Star – who had Ruby Walsh on board for five triumphs from 2006-09 and 2011 – Long Run, Silviniaco Conti and Cue Card.
“We must show leadership with the assets we have and, where merited, take tough decisions to help our sport to keep moving forwards,” said Roger Weatherby, the senior steward of the Jockey Club.
“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.
“If changes take place at Kempton Park in the future we will act to secure and invest in the jumps programme nationally.
“A new purpose-built all-weather course on the links in Newmarket to replace that at Kempton Park would be ideal for the thousands of horses trained at the home of racing and beyond, as well as shortening the working day for racing’s people there.”
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