Not if this article is correct

Chelmsford to build turf track under casino plan

BY GRAHAM DENCH 11:48AM 10 JAN 2017

CHELMSFORD is a major step closer to fulfilling ambitious dreams that will include a new turf track on the inside of the existing racing surface after planning permission was granted for a casino to be included in a major new development.

The development will create the UK's first 'Racino', a concept that has proved crucial to the viability of many racecourses in the United States and other parts of the world, and one that will see the racecourse formerly known as Great Leighs offer leisure and banqueting facilities 365 days of the year.

It is claimed that it will also make Chelmsford the first racecourse in Europe to offer floodlit racing on turf.

Joe Scanlon, racecourse chairman, said: "This is fantastic news. Over the course of the last few years the leading casinos across the world have been changing into multi-purpose complexes offering a full range of facilities to complement their gambling options.

"Here at Chelmsford we will be the first to offer a fully integrated racecourse 'resort' or leisure destination with entertainment."

Managing director Phil Siers added: "A leading development like this can only lead to bigger and better support for our racetrack. We look forward to the day we are offering a minimum prizefund of £100,000 per meeting and regular turf and all-weather racing."

Work on the grandstand and track is expected to start next year.

we live in a world full of hate now paul the b hates a race course.

they need to metro john big shortage there.

"How many houses could be built at Kempton Park?
Our partner, Redrow, has advised that the full site is capable of hosting 3,000 homes. This and other aspects will be consulted on and included in any future planning application for consideration".

Will the JC declare if any of their members have shares or any other vested financial interest in Redrow.

Nicky Henderson's views on the subject on the Sporting Life website make very interesting reading.

Yeah but Paul the B hates Kempton so don't listen to what Nicky's got to say!

I wonder what percentage of the posters on this thread have been to Kempton in the last year, let alone the last 5 years?  The truth of the matter is, it is a God awful that subscribed to the lowest common denominator.  The place has as much charisma, charm and attraction as been slapped in the face with a wet fish!

The hue and cry about its imminent loss is a tad out of proportion, as I suspect it has probably been on its deathbed for a while now (not that Jockey Club Estates will admit to that publicly) Jockey Club Estates has seen an economic opportunity dangling in their face and simply have no option (painful as it seem to some) to take it.  The truth of the matter however, is Kempton signed its own death warrant when it did away with turf racing on the flat.  It went for the short-term option - the quick fix - as opposed to championing itself as a custodian of a long and proud  tradition.  Not so much as 25 years ago, early spring fixtures at Kempton (along with Doncaster) heralded the start of the flat season proper.  Races like The Rosebery Stakes, the Masaka Stakes, The Easter Stakes....etc got you excited about May and June.  All of these were cast aside as bit players in a sea of dross made up of Class 7 & Class 6 races every god-forsaken week.

It is all very well getting sentimental, buth the truth is the racing public have spoken by not patronising the c**rap Kempton has put on show.  I have had occassion to go to Kempton over the last year, but only because I have had to.  I most certainly didn't feel compelled to go for the whole card.  I went along for the one race, I needed to go for and scappered immediately after. That is how depressing the place is.  So for those getting on their high horse about Jockey Club Estates proposal (it is only a proposal as this stage) just ask yourself a simple question - would you have been jumping out of your skin to go to a Kempton meeting this time last Wednesday or indeed any Wednesday evening in 2016?  I doubt it.

Rather than bemoaning the imminent loss of Kempton, I would have thought there would be cause to celebrate what Chelmsford is trying to achieve.  At almost every fixture, they put on good racing supported by good prize-money.  Prize money that sometimes would put a lot of turf tracks to shame.

sixtowsix,
Like you, I once had a very jaundiced view towards "sand racing", but I am afraid, whether purists like you & I like it or not, it is here to stay and is now part of the fabric of racing.  I most certainly don't support, its proliferation and indeed, I think there are quite enough A/W tracks as things stand and doubt very much if the "racing public" has much appetite for additional A/W tracks.  Many trainers find the A/W a useful avenue for educating backward horses or easing fragile horses (mental or physical) into the heat of competitive racing.  So it does have its place.  I hope to God, we never reach the monotonous and mundane levels of American racing though, where every track is in the same direction and simply an oval on sand. That would really be quite sad!

I would have thought there would be cause to celebrate what Chelmsford is trying to achieve.  At almost every fixture, they put on good racing supported by good prize-money.  Prize money that sometimes would put a lot of turf tracks to shame.

Couple of Class 7 races on the card for you on Thursday at Chelmsford

I wonder why the Government does not nationalise Casinos, they can see Bookmaking capitalists squirming for them? perhaps it would be a  simpler remedy, they would soon ban fobts in shops then.

Nicky Henderson's comments from Sporting Life -

"Henderson told Press Association Sport: "It's a lot to digest, obviously. It's a massive subject and a massive deal.

"But I'm afraid, when it comes down to it, Kempton is a track National Hunt racing cannot afford to lose.

"We fought this battle once before and we won.

"They were talking about having the all-weather track and then Flat racing on the turf and doing away with the National Hunt.

"Thankfully we saw that little skirmish off and I think it's worked very well, with the all-weather and the jumps track side by side.

"It will be a very sad day if we lose it and I fear it will be a nail in the National Hunt coffin."

"Kempton is unique, predominantly because of the ground," said Henderson.

"I had two or three horses that are due to run at Kempton this weekend that couldn't have run at Sandown last weekend, purely because of the ground.

"I know the two tracks are only five miles apart, but they are completely different and you need that variety.

"If you have a good-ground horse you go to Kempton, if you have a horse that wants softer ground and a stiff track you go to Sandown. It's simple.

"We have three metropolitan tracks - Kempton, Sandown and Ascot - and from my point of view, Kempton is the number one, and the ground is crux of it.

"The King George isn't the same race at Sandown and running the Christmas Hurdle there is a waste of space.

"If you want to run over a stiff two miles in soft ground, there are plenty of races for that.

"Sandown can't take that amount of racing. They (the Jockey Club) will tell you it can, but it can't, we all know that.

"Kempton is a very good racecourse, they provide the safest ground and we don't want to be without it."

WJ you obviously didn't go to Kauto Star's last KG win? Or perhaps you did go and did your nuts on Long Run? Get back to your sand racing at Chelmsford you complete toby!

That explains it all! You have no interest NH racing so you have no idea, or even care about the impact of losing such a racecourse has on TRUE horse racing fans.

Thank you Mr. Whippin Piccadilly.  You seem to know it all.
All Best.

whisatlejacket

you ask how many posters have been to kempton well i often go nh racing there and by the way you are talking it is in fact you who have never been.

IS, totally agree with you and Hendo on that point.

It's quite noticeable that Twitter and this forum only reference the King George.  I'd feel that loss too but ultimately it's a one race racecourse.  No-one is bemoaning any of its flat racing or any Jump races outside the big 3 miler.

This is possibly a big opportunity but the Jockey Club needs to be as benevolent as they say they are.  Forget Sandown as a venue for the King George.  We've done it twice and everyone knows it can't cope.  You can do what you like to the 'facilities' but you cannot change the last two miles of the journey which takes at least an hour as Esher High Street and it's back roads get horribly clogged up.  Leave Sandown with the Tingle Creek and Tolworth/Vets day.

Instead give Kempton's 2 dayer to Ascot and transfer Newbury's Challow fixture there too.  Let Newbury have the Saturday slot the Ladbroke/Silver Cup occupies as a swop, and create a proper 3 day Christmas Jump Festival, akin to Leopardstown, which many people think British Jumping needs. Mixing up the Ascot/Newbury/Kempton cards you'd have a 3m G1 Chase, 2m G1 Hdle, 3m G1 Hdle, 2m G2 Chase, 3m G1 Nov Chase, 2m G2 Nov Chase, 2.5 G2 Nov Chase, 2.5m G1 Nov Hdle, 2M G2 Nov Hdle etc - there's plenty there to make a proper go of it.

Possibly the best winner of the Christmas Hurdle I've seen was at Sandown, BB.  She was electric. Seen plenty at Kempton from Floyd onwards and it's never really been the race it should be

Yes, FL.  She rarely gets a mention when discussing the best but records show an unbeaten mare, rapidly improving, who signed off doing hands stands in a G1.  You have to wonder what could have been.

Kempton should be a top jumps course and certainly 'feels' like one.  But scratch the surface and I'm not so sure.

As a cushion to this admittedly shocking blow, if the JC helped create a 3 day Xmas Jump Festival at Ascot and brought back Jumping at Nottingham I think many of us would see the trade off.  A challenging Sandown fixture list and an AWT at Newmarket is certainly a less attractive deal.