Kempton Park Racecourse is not closing immediately, but its long-term future is uncertain as it remains subject to a 2018 agreement giving developer Redrow an option to purchase the 230-acre site for housing. While racing continues, this option, which could lead to closure and redevelopment, lasts until 2030.
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.
Symal was appointed as the redevelopment civil and infrastructure contractor in June 2025, with early works commencing in preparation for the racecourse closure following the 2025 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
What does the future hold for Kempton Park? ITV Racing panel discuss
What is the future of Kempton?
Kempton's future seems likely to rest on what remains of local powers to object. Whilst Spelthorne Council reiterated its opposition to development on “strategically important green belt” in recent days, in April 2027 it will be submerged in the new West Surrey unitary authority. Policy change could easily follow.
Melbourne Racing Club's plans for keeping Sandown racecourse open for racing are unchanged, despite the sudden departure of chair John Kanga. Over several years, MRC had sought to rezone the 112-hectare racecourse, releasing a proposal for a 7500-dwelling, 16,000-resident housing estate.
Promising to make a £500 million investment into the sport over the next decade, the Jockey Club proposed Kempton be redeveloped for housing. It teamed up with builders Redrow as its development partner, with a plan for up to 3,000 homes going ahead only if £100m could be raised.
Kempton, located just 15 miles outside Central London, was under threat in 2017 when The Jockey Club intended to close it down for Redrow to build 3,000 houses in a deal worth £100million.
The 80/20 horse racing system generally refers to two main approaches: a betting strategy where you place 80% of your stake on a horse to place and 20% to win, providing better coverage for near misses, or applying the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) to handicapping, identifying the top 20% of jockeys/trainers/horses that win 80% of races for more focused betting. It's a way to balance risk and reward by focusing on consistent performers or creating more robust each-way bets.
Initial plans to sell Kempton were publicised in 2017 prompting a backlash from racing and local people and groups. However, Redrow retained an ability to take control of the venue and take it forward for potential development under pre-agreed conditions.
The oldest racecourse in the UK, and the world, still in operation is Chester Racecourse, known as the Roodee, with racing officially recorded there starting in 1539 when the Mayor replaced a Shrove Tuesday football match with horse racing.
McNally was hit with the longest disqualification handed out to an Irish licence-holder in January 2023 after he was found guilty of conspiring to conceal ownership of Full Noise and All Class when they were trained by David Dunne.
Any bets other than Ante Post will be void if the race is abandoned or declared void. If the race is postponed to a future day and the final Declarations stand, all bets will stand providing the venue is not changed. If this is the case all bets will be void.
Towns near Kempton Park, South Africa, include Tembisa, Benoni, Boksburg, Germiston, Midrand, Sandton, and Edenvale, with Tembisa being a large township directly to its north, and Johannesburg and Pretoria being major cities nearby. Kempton Park itself is an important East Rand city, home to OR Tambo International Airport, and is surrounded by various suburbs and industrial areas.
Kempton Park was established in 1903 when Karl Friedrich Wolff sub-divided a portion of his Zuurfontein farm into 216 residential plots and named the new town “Kempten” after the German town in Bavaria of his birth. Soon after, the name was changed to Kempton Park.
Do you get your money back if a race is abandoned?
Yes, you usually get your money back (stake returned) if a race is abandoned, especially for betting on individual horses (as a "non-runner") or if the abandonment happens early; for physical tickets, refund policies vary, often giving a full refund before the first race and partial after, say, the third. Betting rules state that if a race is void (abandoned), bets are typically voided and stakes returned, but this depends on when the bet was placed and the specific bookmaker's terms.
Kempton Park boasts over 5 Major High-schools, numerous entertainment and sporting facilities and is just minutes away from large shopping malls as well as many other amenities. Accommodation facilities here are superb and ideally situated as it is very close to the international airport.
Because of the ongoing construction work at Belmont Park, the 2025 Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course, although it will likely return to Belmont Park in 2026. This move to Saratoga also causes the race to be shortened from 1½ miles to 1¼, matching the Kentucky Derby's length.
A: All training and wagering operations at Pimlico Race Course will cease on September 1, 2024. This includes all customer-facing activities and the backstretch. 2. Q: Why is Pimlico Race Course closing?
“The safety of our animals and participants is paramount, and unfortunately a heavy downpour following the third race has left the track unsuitable for racing.”
