This course is located within the London suburb of Sunbury, within Surrey County, England. It is a dual-race type track owned by the Jockey Club Racecourses, with racing events televised on Racing UK.
History
The course has been operational since 1878, when businessman S. H. Hyde opened its doors following a six-year development. It underwent a brief closure for refurbishment in 2005, and was re-opened he following year with a new synthetic all-weather track in place.
In 1889, an announcement that the Prince of Wales would visit Kempton led to the construction of a Royal Box within three weeks.
Much damage was done to sections of the course by a fire in 1932, but racing continued as repairs were done. The World Wars led to closures, as Kempton was used as a depot for transiting military weapons in the first and as accommodation place for prisoners of war during the second.
The course
The course sits on 210 acres of flat grassland, dotted by trees all around and two lakes within its area. It is relatively gentle in gradient, and has tracks for both flat and National Hunt racing. The flat track is synthetic since the 2006, when use of the famous Jubilee Track was discontinued.
Races
The King George VI Chase held on Boxing Day is the track’s most famous event. The Grade 1 National Hunt race attracts viewers such that the Grandstand is almost filled to capacity. The Bet Bright Chase, Desert Orchid Chase and the Sirenia Stakes are other notable events on the course.
Closure
Jockey Club Racecourses announced earlier in 2017 that they plan to close the racecourse to pave way for development of the land into around 3,000 homes. The plan is to be carried out in partnership with Redrow Homes, in what the owners say is a bid to raise money to develop horse racing at other courses they manage. If the plan goes through, Kempton will not be used for racing beyond 2021.