‘Is it time for the King George to go away Kempton Park?’

Kim Bailey shares concepts for a King George shake-up – to spice up entries and crowd figures

Leap racing is in full swing and each weekend there’s one other large race to get pleasure from on our TV screens. Two weeks in the past, at Haydock, we watched the Venetia Williams-trained Royale Pagaille win the Betfair Chase at Haydock. His proprietor Wealthy Ricci celebrated his a centesimal Grade One winner – that’s some feat.

On the identical card our Trelawne gained the Commencement Chase – a giant aid to all of us at Thorndale contemplating he was final seen falling on the Cheltenham Competition within the Ultima, gained by his stablemate Chianti Classico.

Final weekend Paul Nicholls landed one other Coral Gold Cup with Kandoo Child at Newbury – having not gained this race because the mighty Denman in 2009.

Up at Newcastle Nicky Henderson added his ninth Combating Fifth Hurdle – not with the anticipated Structure Hill, however Sir Gino. Structure Hill was attributable to run however following a disappointing exercise with Sir Gino he was subsequently discovered to be lame.

This weekend we’ve the Becher Chase at Aintree over the Grand Nationwide fences (we hope to run Chianti Classico), the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and so it goes on proper by way of December.

Time for change?

Sure, it’s a vastly busy time for soar racing within the run-up to and over Christmas, with the head being the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton. However is the nice race shedding a few of its enchantment?

The general public numbers eventually 12 months’s big-race assembly had been marginally up from the earlier 12 months. However have a look at the figures. A crowd of 29,204 was recorded for Desert Orchid’s remaining King George look in 1991, in comparison with 11,703 final 12 months.

One does marvel in regards to the calculators utilized by racecourses, however it’s indisputably true that the post-Covid attendances for British racing’s high winter prize have been very low.

Final 12 months ’s attendance was fractionally up on the 2021 and 2022 totals, however considerably down on the 19,645 five-year common from 2015 to 2019. Even permitting for modifications in the way in which crowd figures are recorded, that represents a giant drop.

Then have a look at this 12 months’s subject. It lacks that wow issue you’d anticipate for this nice race. Ten days in the past Willie Mullins scratched all his entries, so the sector measurement is all the way down to 16 and solely half of these are possible runners. Why? The unhappy issue right here is that of the highest 30 three-mile chasers, almost 25 are skilled in Eire. That is the nub of the issue.

The King George is considered one of racing’s largest attracts and it’s crucial we cease this race sliding even additional down the rankings of excellent races. Kempton is wanting drained as a racecourse – not helped by rumours that components of the land round had been being bought for constructing.

Maybe it’s time for a change – particularly if Kempton can not fill the racecourse as of previous.

Charlie Brooks has been championing in his Telegraph articles to maneuver the race to Ascot. They have already got a vastly profitable Christmas meet the weekend earlier than Christmas, however Ascot is the perfect observe to stage this prestigious race. It has the capability, and good transport routes to the racecourse.

Oh, for a magic wand and an opportunity to rewrite the programme ebook. Sure, Ascot over Christmas. A two-day assembly with big prize cash and graded races to problem the Irish and fill races with runners that take one another on due to the monetary incentive. It’s solely a dream, however who is aware of!

● How can we entice extra entries to Britain’s high races? Tell us your ideas at hhletters@futurenet.com, together with your title, nearest city and nation, for the prospect in your letter to look in a forthcoming situation of the journal

You may also be all in favour of: