McCoy's fury over Kempton 'plan'

London City racecourse is on its deathbed - and the suggestion that Kempton Park should resurrect itself as an international venue reserved solely for all-weather Flat racing is also coming under increasing fire.

In the wake of the government's rejection of a plan to build a new £100 million racecourse on a greenbelt site 15 miles east of London at Fairlop last week, the Sunbury track is emerging as a strong contender in the race to provide the sort of venue which could revolutionise racing in the capital.

Kempton Managing Director Julian Thick has continually stressed that "all options are open" regarding an idea which would mean that historic jump races such as the King George VI Chase and the Racing Post Chase would have to be transfer red per manently to Sandown.

However, leading Flat trainer Ian Balding slammed the idea at the weekend, and champion jump jockey Tony McCoy joined the bandwagon today by describing the rumoured redevelopment as " something that all the jumping boys are dead against.

McCoy said: "I was gutted to lose Windsor and Nottingham as jumping venues a couple of years ago. They were great tracks, and it would be even more disappointing to see a course with as many good races as Kempton going the same way." Adrian Maguire, Jim Culloty and Andrew Thornton have all expressed similar views, and McCoy fears that the sport of National Hunt racing is coming under an ever increasing threat.

He added: "We lost Wolverhampton for jumping just a few weeks ago, but that was because of safety more than anything and it won't be missed by a lot of people.