A SECOND floodlit racecourse will be operating in Britain early in 2006, after planning permission was granted to Kempton Park on Wednesday night. Spelthorne Council approved a modern, adaptable design that will allow for all-weather Flat racing up to two nights a week, while preserving jump racing on the Thamesside course.
It has long been clear that the most viable growth area in an otherwise overcrowded racing fixture list is under lights, presently served only by Wolverhampton on winter Saturdays. Kempton, close to London and already well equipped with spectator facilities, is an ideal, if overdue new venue.
Kempton is now set to close for nine months next spring to enable the new track, and 29 retractable floodlight pylons, to be constructed. All its existing Flat Turf fixtures for 2005 will be transferred elsewhere and the Christmas jumps meeting, featuring the King George VI Chase, will be run at neighbouring Sandown Park next year.
Crucial decisions, and perhaps a calculated risk, must still be taken by the board of Racecourse Holdings Trust, which owns Kempton. They meet on October 11 and are expected to prioritise the Kempton project at the main expense of another all-weather track desired by Newmarket. An investment of £18 million is required, much of it to be made before 2006 fixtures have been confirmed.
Julian Thick, Kempton’s managing director, said yesterday: “The next important step is to apply to the new racecourse committee of the British Horseracing Board, which is only possible once planning has been approved. We believe we should be racing at least once a week from the start and eventually want to get close to the 104 nights a year the council has allowed.”