Kempton Park Racecourse

Last updated

Kempton Park
2012 Rock Gem n Bead Show 31.JPG
Section of tracks with finishing line
Location Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England
Owned by Jockey Club Racecourses
Date openedJuly 1878
Screened on Racing TV
Course type Flat
National Hunt
Notable races King George VI Chase
Coral Trophy Handicap Chase
Sirenia Stakes
Official website
Start and return of circuit of inner and outer track 2012 Rock Gem n Bead Show 30.JPG
Start and return of circuit of inner and outer track

Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, near the border with Greater London; it is 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross in central London. The site has 210 acres (85 hectares ) of flat grassland surrounded by woodland with two lakes in its centre. Its entrance borders Kempton Park railway station which was created for racegoers on a branch line from London Waterloo, via Clapham Junction.

Contents

It has adjoining inner and outer courses for flat and National Hunt racing. Among its races, the King George VI Chase takes place on Boxing Day, a Grade 1 National Hunt chase which is open to horses aged four years or older.

History

The racecourse was the idea of 19th-century businessman and Conservative Party agent S. H. Hyde, who was enjoying a carriage drive in the country with his wife in June 1870 when he came across Kempton Manor and Park for sale. Hyde leased the grounds as tenant in 1872 and six years later in July 1878 Kempton opened as a racecourse. This was the feudal lord's demesne of a manor recorded in the Domesday Book and has had at least four variant names; though early Victorian gateposts exist, no buildings of the manor house remain.

For many years Kempton's Easter meeting (Saturday and Monday) was one of its highlights of the year, with the Roseberry Stakes (over the 1m 2f of the Jubilee course) and the 2,000 Guineas Trial on the first day, followed by the Queen's Prize over 2m, plus the 1,000 Guineas Trial on the Monday. [1]

The site briefly closed (2 May 2005 – 25 March 2006) to reopen with a new all-weather polytrack (synthetic material) main track and floodlighting to enable racing at all light levels and in all but the most severe bad weather.

Flat racing since 2006 has been run on the synthetic track, so the historic "Jubilee Course", a mile-long spur that joined the main track by the home bend, used for the "Jubilee Handicap" which parred the Cambridgeshire and the Stewards' Cup in seniority, was abandoned. It is now overgrown for racing; however, it joins the outskirts of the park as part of the green belt.

The old flat course comprised: a right-handed triangular course of about 1m 5f; a straight six-furlong course that intersected the back straight of the triangular course; and the 1m 2f Jubilee course, which joined the triangular course at the home turn. Races over a mile were run on the Jubilee course or on the triangular course. [1]

John Rickman described the Jubilee course as "two straight stretches joined by a right hand bend. The race (the Jubilee Handicap) is usually run in two sprints, from the start to the Jubilee bend and thence to the winning post. On the whole it may be considered a fairly easy 10 furlongs because it is slightly downhill from the start for the first 400 yards. Then the turn gives a slight breather." [2]

The National Hunt course was inside the triangle of the old flat course, and is a little over 1m 4f round, with nine fences. Until the configuration of the steeplechase course was changed several years ago, there were ten fences, with a very long run-in of 350 yards, for there were only two fences in the home straight rather than the present three, and a run-in of 220 yards.

On 10 January 2017, the Jockey Club announced the closure of the 230-acre site by 2021 for a total of £500 million investment programme over a 10-year period that was submitted for consideration following the local authority's 'Call for Sites' to address unmet local housing needs. [3] The plan includes the move of some important jumps races like the King George VI Chase and Christmas Hurdle to the Sandown Park Racecourse with the other jumps fixtures to be spread around other Jockey Club-owned racecourses throughout the country, while the all-weather track to be replaced by a new artificial track to be built at Newmarket. [4]

Top three events

Kempton Park stages National Hunt racing (with fences) and flat racing, with the most famous race being the King George VI Chase held every Boxing Day, a prestigious Grade 1 race. The Kauto Star Novices' Chase (formerly the Feltham Novices' Chase) also takes place on Boxing Day, a Grade 1 race. With similar challenges, past winners of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase and of the King George VI Chase include Kauto Star and Long Run; the following day is the Desert Orchid Chase, a Grade 2 race. On approximately the last weekend of February Kempton Park hosts the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase and in early September the course stages the September Stakes race day.

Non-racing events and facilities

In addition to racing, the site is home to a weekly market on Thursdays, holds an antiques market on the second and last Tuesday of every month and seasonal wedding fairs. Reception areas and two restaurants can be booked for private hospitality or celebrations. Boxes are used for meetings and race days.

Location filming

A scene from The Optimist television series, which was partially filmed at Kempton Park. John Blythe.png
A scene from The Optimist television series, which was partially filmed at Kempton Park.

Kempton Park is used and marketed as a location for filming purposes. [5] The 1956 movie Dry Rot was partially filmed at the course; and the 1985 television program The Optimist was also partially shot at Kempton. [6]

Landscape

Upper tiers of the grandstand and boxes have views toward Sandown Park's Esher and Oxshott ridge and the North Downs range of hills. Woodland and parkland forms the backdrop from the grandstand.

Lake

The horse Blue Warrior strayed and fell into Kempton Park's centre-course lake having jumped before the start of the 19.20 on 14 January 2009. The rescue operation to get the horse out of the lake caused the race to be delayed by 15 minutes, with the horse rescued and sustaining a minor cut to his leg. [7]

Racecourse details

Notable races

MonthDOWRace NameTypeGradeDistanceAge/Sex
JanuarySaturday Lanzarote Hurdle HurdleHandicap2m 5f 4yo +
JanuarySaturday Silviniaco Conti Chase ChaseGrade 22m 4f 110y5yo +
FebruarySaturday Coral Trophy Handicap Chase ChaseGrade 33m 5yo +
FebruarySaturday Adonis Juvenile Novices' Hurdle HurdleGrade 22m 4yo only
FebruarySaturday Pendil Novices' Chase ChaseGrade 22m 4f 110y5yo +
FebruarySaturday Dovecote Novices' Hurdle HurdleGrade 22m 4yo +
Mar / AprSaturday Magnolia Stakes A W FlatListed1m 2f 4yo +
Mar / AprSaturday Rosebery Stakes A W FlatHandicap1m 3f 4yo +
Mar / AprSaturday Easter Stakes A W FlatConditions1m 3yo only
AprilSaturday Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes A W FlatConditions1m 4yo+ f
SeptemberSaturday Sirenia Stakes A W FlatGroup 36f 2yo only
SeptemberSaturday September Stakes A W FlatGroup 31m 4f 3yo +
OctoberSunday Matchbook Betting Exchange Novices' Hurdle HurdleListed2m 4yo +
OctoberSunday Matchbook VIP Hurdle HurdleListed2m 4yo +
NovemberWednesday Floodlit Stakes A W FlatListed1m 4f 3yo +
NovemberMonday Kempton Mares' Hurdle HurdleListed3m 110y4yo + m
December26th King George VI Chase ChaseGrade 13m 4yo +
December26th Kauto Star Novices' Chase ChaseGrade 13m 4yo +
December26th Christmas Hurdle HurdleGrade 12m 4yo +
December27th Wayward Lad Novices' Chase ChaseGrade 22m 4yo +
December27th Desert Orchid Chase ChaseGrade 22m 4yo +
Other races

Transport

The racecourse has a purpose-built railway station, on the London Waterloo to Shepperton line.

For racegoers not travelling via the capital, and including the direct Thameslink from Bedford to Brighton, a junction station on this short line is at Clapham Junction and for services on lines from Reading and Windsor to Waterloo, a change can be made at Twickenham followed by nearby Teddington.

The A308 passes by the racecourse and so does the A316 that becomes the M3 motorway. Free parking is available for visitors.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silviniaco Conti</span> French racehorse

Silviniaco Conti was a French-bred, British-trained Selle Français racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. After winning several important races over hurdles he emerged as a leading long-distance steeplechaser in 2012. After winning both his races in his native country, the horse won his first three races in England, culminating with a success in the two and a half mile Ascot Hurdle. After running poorly over shorter distances he was ruled out of a bid for the Champion Hurdle and was switched to steeplechasing. In his first season as a chaser he won the Mildmay Novices' Chase and finished second in a strong renewal of the Feltham Chase. In the 2012/2013 season he won the Charlie Hall Chase, Betfair Chase and Denman Chase and in the following season he was rated the best jumper in Britain and Ireland after wins in the King George VI Chase and Betfred Bowl. In the 2014/2015 season he recorded repeat victories in the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Betfred Bowl but failed when favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In the following season he was beaten in his first three races but returned to form in February to win the Grade One Ascot Chase by 20 lengths.

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Sire de Grugy is a French-bred, British-trained Selle Français racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. He showed promise in his early career, winning the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton Park Racecourse in 2011 and emerged as a top class performer with a win in the Celebration Chase in April 2013. In the 2013–14 National Hunt season he established himself as the leading two-mile steeplechaser in Britain, winning the Tingle Creek Chase, Desert Orchid Chase, Clarence House Chase and the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He continued to run in top-class two-mile steeplechases without fully recapturing his 2013–14 form, winning one race in each of the following three seasons including a second win in the Tingle Creek Chase, before being retired in December 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coneygree</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Coneygree is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. In a career which ran from November 2010 to February 2019 he ran in eighteen races, winning nine times. In March 2015, he became the first novice chaser to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for more than forty years. His subsequent career was hampered by injury and he did not run again in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning it.

Karshi was a British Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in National Hunt racing. He was a moderate performer on the flat, winning one minor event in eleven attempts, but showed improved form when tried over hurdles despite recurring injury problems. In his first season over obstacles he won two novice races and finished third in the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle. In the following season he won the Lonesome Glory Hurdle and recorded his most important victory when winning the Stayers' Hurdle at odds of 20/1. He also produced several good performances under big weights in handicap races and won his only race over fences before leg injuries ended his racing career.

References

  1. 1 2 Investors, Tote (1965). Tote Racing Annual 1965. London: Tote Investors Limited. pp. 162–163.
  2. ↑ Rickman, John (1952). Homes of Sport - Horse Racing. London: Peter Garnett. p. 114.
  3. ↑ "Kempton Park racecourse faces closure to make way for 3,000 homes". BBC News. BBC. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Kempton to be closed for housing". sportinglife.com. Sporting Life. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Location Filming at Kempton Park". www.thejockeyclub.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Filming Location Matching "Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Racing Post Archived 5 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine "Kempton drama as horse plunges into lake". Turia Tellwright, 14 January 2009

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