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*Kempton Park*
Kempton Park
	Official site
Location	Sunbury-on-Thames, Spelthorne
Owned by	Jockey Club Racecourses
Date opened	July 1878
Screened on	Racing UK
Course type	Flat; National Hunt
Notable Races	King George VI Chase; Racing Post Chase; Sirenia Stakes

Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in 210 acres (84 hectares) of land.

The racecourse was the idea of 19th century businessman (and Conservative Party agent) S.H. Hyde, who was enjoying a carriage drive in the country when he came across Kempton Manor and Park for sale. Hyde leased the grounds in 1872 and six years later in July 1878 Kempton opened as a racecourse.

Kempton Park stages both National Hunt racing and Flat racing, with the most famous race being the King George VI Chase held every Boxing Day.

The site closed on 2 May 2005 and reopened on 25 March 2006, with a new all-weather Polytrack synthetic dirt track and floodlighting to facilitate racing in all conditions and at all light levels.

In September of 2008 Kempton Park Racecourse announced they had reached an agreement with Churchill Downs of Louisville, Kentucky to stage the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes on 18 March 2009. The race winner will be guaranteed a berth in the 2009 Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

In addition the site is home to weekly market on Thursdays, and an Antique market on the second and last Tuesday of every month.

The racecourse has its own railway station, on the South West Trains, Shepperton to Waterloo line.

The racecourse also has a lake, which the horse Blue Warrior jumped into prior to the start of the 19.20 on 14th January 2009. The rescue operation to get the horse out of the lake caused the race to be delayed by 15 minutes.

[edit] Racecourse details

All-weather Opened in March 2006, this floodlit Polytrack synthetic dirt course is a right-handed oval of 8 or 10 furlongs, depending on whether the inner or outer bend is used.

National Hunt Triangular circuit 1m5f, practically flat, with 220yd run-in.

[edit] Notable races

Flat races:

National Hunt races:

[edit] External links

[edit] References

[1]

Coordinates: 51°25′7″N 0°23′53″W / 51.41861°N 0.39806°W / 51.41861; -0.39806

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Contents

[edit] Racecourse details

[edit] Notable races

[edit] External links

[edit] References