THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE

The furore over the possible closure of Kempton Park raised a brief apoplexy among the National Hunt fraternity, but has received little balanced coverage. This is disappointing, as it is an issue that should be at the heart of the health of our sport going forward. In my view Kempton Park should not just be retained as a racecourse, it should be vibrantly redeveloped. We cannot take ourselves seriously as a sport, if we squander the most accessible site we have in the sport. It lies within forty five minutes of ten million people. Unfortunately, because it is an ordeal to travel from Newmarket it is often described as inaccessible!

There has been virtually no effort to increase the appeal of the environment for racegoers and it is run as a functionary unit for every Raceday other than the Boxing Day meeting. It is a grey concrete wasteland, concealed by a huge crowd of revellers on December 26th and exposed as soulless at other times. The space and opportunity is there, however, for a complete redevelopment. The parade ring should return to the site of the pre parade ring and the space between the existing one and the road brought within the barbican. The whole area should be laid to grass and trees with permanent outdoor concessions. Evening racing through milder months should be charged at a token entry.

We have some wonderful racecourses that have evolved historically on sites that were chosen because of their natural suitability for the purpose. Nearly every other younger jurisdiction has selected locations based on population density. It is unfathomable that the body considered “Guardians of the sport” should want to trade in Kempton Park for a boutique venue up a side street in Newmarket. This cannot in any way be projected as support for our cause, it is expedient acceptance of the increasing role of racing for picture rights, when they should be evangelical about attracting live spectators.  It is always disturbing to acknowledge that Australians may have sounder ethics, but the defence of Rosehill Gardens mounted by the committed members of the Australian Turf Club is an example that passion would not be beholden to accountants.

There is no doubt that the move to Newmarket would make life much easier for professionals amidst the highest concentration of horses in training in the United Kingdom. I would point out though, that when the mock-ups for this development at Newmarket were unveiled, there was an artist’s impression of the owners’ lounge, but the track was shown as left handed and nobody knew how long the straight would be, though it looked mightily similar in configuration to Chelmsford. I think if horsemen and owners had been canvassed about the topography of any new racecourse, this would have been the first thing addressed.

Kempton Park has been graced by many top horses since its reinvention as an all-weather circuit. This is because the layout is eminently fair and affords immature horses the chance to settle into a rhythm. The exact dimensions of any putative replacement should be confirmed before any decisions are made. The recent history of our leaders has not been encouraging in this regard. Instead of anticipating developments, they have carried their gaze lower than Roman Holiday. I hope they, like he, will always get to the other side.