Kempton Races Today – See Kempton Tips for Sunbury-on-Thames Track
Kempton Park is one of the most famous and busiest racecourses in the UK. With its convenient Surrey location, many London-based racegoers visit Kempton races today and take advantage of a packed year-round schedule.
On this page, we don’t just provide Kempton tips but discuss the history of the Greater London course at Sunbury-on-Thames. We also provide more information about the track by exploring some of the big races in both codes.
History of Kempton Racecourse
Racing at Kempton was born when S.H. Hyde leased the grounds of Kempton Manor and Park in 1872. Six years later in 1878 the racecourse opened in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey.
A highlight for many years was the Easter meeting, with a trial for the 2,000 Guineas taking place on the Saturday and a 1,000 Guineas trial on the Monday.
The King George VI Chase is a race synonymous with Kempton. It was first run in February 1937 following the new monarch’s ascension to the throne, after the abdication crisis of Edward VIII the previous year.
After a disruption caused by World War II, the King George became the highlight of the Kempton races Boxing Day schedule. It has become one of the major horse racing events of the National Hunt calendar, won by horses with some serious pedigree.
Among the early winners are Cottage Rake (1948), Halloween (1952 and 1954), Limber Hill (1955) and Mandarin (1957 and 1959). Though the race was only run five times in the sixties due to abandonments, Mill House (1963) and Arkle (1965) were among the victors.
Wayward Lad set a new record for the most wins in 1985, when he triumphed for a third time. In 1990, Desert Orchid broke the record with a fourth win and Kauto Star won a fifth King George in 2011.
All-Weather Surface Replaces Jubilee Course
In 2006, Kempton had an All-Weather polytrack track installed. Only a handful of turf pattern races and handicaps transferred to this artificial surface including the Magnolia Stakes, September Stakes, Sirenia Stakes, Queen’s Prize and Rosebery Handicap.
The future looked bleak in 2017 when The Jockey Club announced that they would close Kempton Racecourse to make way for 3000 homes. Plans were made to move important races and for the creation of a new artificial track in Newmarket. Thankfully, in 2020 The Jockey Club announced revised plans with less housing, which saw racing at Kempton able to continue.
It is the closest racecourse to London and is just 16 miles from the city, with trains running to Kempton Park Station from Waterloo. London-based racing fans can peruse our Kempton horse tips in the morning, with plenty of time to make the afternoon meeting.
Is Kempton Races Today Jumps or Flat?
Kempton Racecourse is home to both jump racing and Flat races. There is All-Weather Flat racing at Kempton races today, which takes place all year round, while National Hunt racing on turf starts in October and continues through to the spring in late April or early May.
With both codes taking place this is one of the busiest racecourses in the UK, so you’re never far away from the next lot of Kempton betting tips from us at Racing Tipster. The jumps course is triangular in shape and over a mile-and-a-half round with a run-in of about a furlong from the back of the last hurdle / fence.
There are six hurdles on a complete circuit; two down the side after the winning post, two more on the next part of the track and the other two in the home straight. Horses face nine fences on a full la[ of Kempton.
Two of these are down the side after the winning post with the second an open ditch, then a line of four more on the next part of the course (the third is also a ditch), and the other three after turning for home. Tthis is a fair course, but one that can give a test of stamina when there is soft/heavy going.
This is something that we factor in when giving Kempton tips today for jumps races. The All-Weather track has two loops to it, meanwhile.
They use the inner one (a mile round) for 5-furlong races and 1m 2f races, but the outer loop (10 furlongs round) for 6-furlong races, 7f, 1m, 1m 3f, 1m 4f and 2m races. Races run on the inner loop have a short run-in, which favours front running horses, which is another aspect that we consider with our Kempton racing tips.
Key Kempton Park Racecourse Events & Fixtures
With both jump racing on turf and Flat taking place on the synthetic surface, there is a packed schedule at Kempton. In all, there are over 70 race meetings hosted here each year, ensuring that our Kempton horse racing tips come thick and fast.
Many regular punters opt for memberships which include race passes, so that they can attend multiple meetings. The first of the major meetings comes in early January with the Lanzarote Hurdle Day, followed by the Ladbrokes Trophy Day in February, featuring three Grade 2 races that act as trials for spring festivals.
Spring Saturday takes place in either March or April and includes the Rosebery Handicap and the Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes. Later in the year comes the September Stakes Day, while the Christmas Festival brings two days of racing, where the King George is the main event on Boxing Day.
Here at Racing Tipster we provide Kempton racing tips for all of these big meetings and the regular schedule of events, throughout the year. The proximity to London and its huge population perhaps contributes to the track not needing themed-days to attract punters. Quality contests remain the draw at Kempton races today.
The Biggest Races We Give Kempton Tips
Our horse racing tips for Kempton include some major historic races that pepper the packed schedule at the course.
There are 14 races with prize money of over £36,000 at Kempton races today and we take a look at them all in this section.
Our Kempton races tips cover all of these big races and more.
King George VI Chase Tips
This jumping showpiece runs over 3 miles and attracts some of the top steeplechasers in training. It takes place on Boxing Day and is the feature race of the Christmas Festival.
A notable feature of this race is how many times it produces multiple winners, which we consider when making our King George Chase tips. Aside from the past winners that we touched on earlier, the likes of The Fellow, One Man, See More Business and Kicking King all won it twice in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Long Run, Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux have also enjoyed a second win in the years since Kauto Star set the record of five victories. The race has total prize money of £250,000, with a £148,000 first prize in 2024 when Banbridge won.
Ladbrokes Trophy
Best known as the Racing Post Trophy, this 3m Premier Handicap chase was first run in 1949. Early winners of this include Mont Tremblant and Halloween.
Crisp and Pendil won this in the 1970s, while Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Desert Orchid and Rough Quest are big name winners in modern times. Katate Dori was the 2025 winner, claiming a first prize of £85,400.
Christmas Hurdle
This Grade 1 hurdle race is open to horses aged four years or older and ran over a distance of 2 miles. Dating back to 1969, this race is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling, which starts with the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and concludes with the Champion Hurdle during the Cheltenham Festival.
It has a roll of honour to rival the King George. Past winners include Lanzarote, Dawn Run, Kribensis, Intersky Falcon, Harchibald, Binocular, Faugheen and Epatante. Record three-time winner Constitution Hill picked up a first prize of £74,000 in 2024 when completing his hat-trick.
Kauto Star Novices’ Chase
This race honours the five-time King George winner Kauto Star. It’s another Grade 1 steeplechase over 3 miles on Boxing Day, but this time for novices. First staged in 1975, it was formerly known as the Feltham Novices’ Chase and run in memory of Nigel Clark.
Among the most notable winners are Long Run and Coneygree who went on to later triumphs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The first prize in 2024 was £57,600 when The Jukebox Man won.
Desert Orchid Handicap Chase
Another race honouring a multiple King George winner, but held the day after Boxing Day, this two-mile steeplechase became a Grade 2 limited handicap in 2023.
Introduced in 2006, Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Shishkin are all notable winners. First prize in 2024 was £57,200 and claimed by Soul Icon who at racing odds of 16/1, was not among the most popular choices from experts giving Kempton Park tips.
Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle
This 2m 5f Class 2 handicap hurdle honours Lanzarote, a dual Christmas Hurdle winner. Held in January since 1978, the current distance came in for 2007.
With the Kempton races today abandoned at this meeting in 2025, the most recent winner is Jay Jay Reilly in 2024, who won a first prize of £52,000. The Lanzarote Hurdle and its entire card ended up abandoned in 2025.
Rosebery Handicap
A Class 2 All-Weather handicap over 1m 3f since the switch away from turf in 2007, when it was a 1m 2f race. Run in March or April, this is for four-year-olds and up with a Flat / AW ratings ceiling of 105.
Historically part of the Jubilee Course action during the Easter meeting, it remains one of the most valuable Flat handicaps at the Sunbury-on-Thames track. Cemhaan confounded the majority of Kempton race tips with a 25/1 win in 2024, claiming the £51,540 first prize.
September Stakes
Another big race on the All-Weather is the September Stakes. This Group 3 1m 4f contest was first run on turf in September back in 1979, switching in 2006 to the artificial surface.
The wonder-mare Enable twice won it as a prep race for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In 2024, the first prize was £48,200 and won by Kalpana en route to Group 1 glory on turf at Ascot during British Champions Day.
Silviniaco Conti Chase
This event began life in 2014 as a Listed race, before being upgraded to a Grade 2 and renamed after dual King George hero Silviniaco Conti in 2020. It did not take place in 2025, due to the January meeting being abandoned.
Run over an extended two-and-a-half miles, the most recent winner was Banbridge in 2024. This Irish raider claimed the £46,000 first prize and returned to Kempton later that calendar year when landing the King George.
Adonis Juvenile Hurdle
A 2m Grade 2 hurdle race for four-year-olds only in February, it is the last trial for the Triumph Hurdle, which takes place at Cheltenham the following month.
The last horse to win both this race and the Triumph Hurdle was Zarkandar in 2011. Mambonumberfive was the 2024 winner, taking home a first prize of over £45,500.
Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase
This is another Kempton race named after a former King George winner. run the day after Boxing Day, this is a Grade 2 novice chase over 2 miles.
Sir Gino is the most recent winner, claiming the £44,000 first prize in 2024. Despite making his debut over over fences, he defeated Ballyburn in a famous clash between two top horses.
Pendil Novices’ Chase
Inaugurated in 1965, this was originally named as the Galloway Braes Novices’ Chase, taking the name of dual King George winner Pendil in 1993, when the distance was increased to its current trip of an extended 2m 4f.
This Grade 2 novice chase is for horses aged five and older. Run in February, Rubaud was the 2025 winner, receiving a £42,700 first prize.
Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle
This is a novice hurdle race for four year olds and older. It was a Listed race when it began in 1988, before becoming Grade 2 in 1991.
Granville Again and Sire De Grugy are two of the most famous horses to claim victory in this one. Tripoli Flyer became the latest winner of this February race, taking home a £42,700 first prize in 2025.
Sirenia Stakes
The Sirenia Stakes is a Group 3 race on the flat for two year old horses, run over 6f. Named after a star filly of the late Victorian era, this race was first run in 1974 on turf and now takes place on the All-Weather.
Inaugural winner Grundy and Pastoral Pursuits are the most famous victors on the roll of honour. Symbol of Strength won this race in September 2024 and claimed the £36,800 first prize.
FAQs
Is Kempton races on today?
You can check if there are Kempton races today by taking a look at the racecards section, right here at Racing Tipster. Should there be a meeting at Kempton Park races today, you’ll find tips, statistics and results.
Where is Kempton Racecourse?
Kempton is the nearest racecourse to London, located just 16 miles from the City. By road, you can find Kempton on the A308 between Sunbury-on-Thames and Hampton Court. There is a direct train to Kempton Park Station from London Waterloo, which runs every 30 minutes.
What is the big race at Kempton?
The most prestigious event at Kempton races today is the King George VI Chase. This famous race has been won by some legendary horses. It takes place on Boxing Day, so check in on us for your King George tips around the festive period.
Where can I find tips and Kempton races results today?
If there are Kempton races today results and tips can be found at Racing Tipster. We have a dedicated racing results section, while tips for Kempton today are available in our AI-generated Today’s Tips section.
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