Kempton defends late sale of tickets for Boxing Day

Kempton Park has defended its marketing strategy that means tickets for its popular Christmas festival, featuring the 32Red King George VI Chase, will not go on sale until September.

Kempton revealed that previous year-round sale of tickets had resulted in an early flurry before a lull until the jumps season got into full swing.

Racecourse manager Steve Parlett was responding after Racing Post columnist Tom Kerr last Friday questioned Kempton's strategy, calling it "a case of promoting one of Britain's biggest racedays in sorry fashion".

Kerr pointed out tickets for most other Boxing Day fixtures were readily available to be booked now. Other Grade 1 fixtures in December also have tickets available, while Cheltenham – which, like Kempton, is owned by the Jockey Club – has tickets available for every meeting through to May 2018.

"Our marketing team know what they are doing and we work with sponsors 32Red, who understand," said Parlett.

"We welcome the debate, though, and anyone can question it but we have this marketing plan in place after years of experience of what customers are telling us they want and when they want it.

"We have tried year-round sales and found after an initial take-up we get nothing for eight months.

"Waiting until September to launch a marketing campaign with an oomph and with a price-driven strategy has worked well and hasn't impacted negatively on the crowd on Boxing Day, which remains 21,000 and over 10,000 on the second day."

Parlett pointed out that restaurant bookings are available all year round as well as hospitality boxes.

"People even sign up on Boxing Day for the next year and the restaurant sells out well in advance," he added.

Parlett explained that tickets were bookable for other Kempton fixtures in December "because they are lower profile and are not meetings that need a launch".

Kempton's future as a racecourse is in the balance as it has been submitted by the Jockey Club to the local council to be considered for redevelopment as housing, a controversial proposal which, should it get the go ahead, the racecourse group hopes will raise more than £100 million.