Sentimentality for the sport of kings did little to outrun pragmatism in Singapore. The roar of spectators, crashing of hooves and the scent of tobacco wafting through the open air at the Singapore Turf Club (STC) will be replaced by tranquil housing developments in a matter of years.
The club held its final race on Oct 5, concluding over 180 years of horse racing in the city-state. Over 10,000 spectators ranging from punters to families and people dressed to the nines were present to witness 10 races throughout the day, with the $1.38 million Grand Singapore Gold Cup prize going to the six-year-old Smart Star and his visiting South African jockey Muzi Yeni.
Former Singapore president S R Nathan opened the $500 million Kranji racecourse on March 4, 2000. The opening day drew a 28,000-strong crowd, with local jockey Saimee Jumaat clinching the $3 million prize in its first race, the Singapore Airlines C6L (SIA) International Cup.
In recent years, however, the allure of the sport has waned significantly, with the average attendance on race days falling from 11,000 in 2010 to 6,000 in 2019, and just 2,600 in 2022 following the pandemic. STC’s revenue from horse-wagering, including international races, similarly slowed to $1.1 billion in 2022 from $1.8 billion in 2010.
In comparison, turnover for the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s 2022/2023 season grew 0.5% y-o-y to HK$141.1 billion ($23.6 billion).
Covid-19 was largely to blame. Jummat, an eventual eight-time champion jockey-turned-trainer, cited the pandemic as his breaking point amid a lack of owners and horses when he relinquished his trainer’s licence on Oct 25, 2020. By his retirement, Jummat had trained 71 winning horses in total.
Another reason could be the competition posed by Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Both casinos opened their doors in 2010, generating a combined revenue of US$5.1 billion ($6.65 billion) in their first year in operations.
Unlike STC, both casinos have recovered from the pandemic, with a 2023 report by Morgan Stanley tipping Singapore’s gross gaming revenue — a metric used to determine the amount wagered against the amount won, to reach US$5.2 billion in 2024.
While the factors responsible for the closing of the Kranji racecourse included dwindling attendance and declining revenue, the 120ha piece of land on which the STC sits on was the most significant in land-scarce Singapore.
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From turf to homes
The Singapore government first announced the closure of STC on June 5, 2023. Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah explained at a press conference: “This was not an easy decision but necessary. There have been increasing needs and demands for land, and the government regularly reviews our land use plans because we want to ensure that resources are optimised to meet Singaporeans’ needs.”
She continued: “We plan not just for this generation, but for the next.”
The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development added in a joint statement on the same day: “The government continually reviews its land-use plans to meet today’s needs while ensuring there is sufficient land for future generations. Local horse racing has also experienced declining spectatorship over the years.”
Presently, the racecourse comprises two main racing tracks and another five used solely for trackwork. Its five-storey grandstand is able to hold 30,000 spectators, with air-conditioned stabling for over 1,600 horses. As at June 2023, there were around 700 racehorses at the club and 38 livery horses, which are meant for personal use.
On Oct 4, just 240 were left; the rest had been moved to Malaysia and Australia.
The target for the export of all horses is 2026, while the first batch of STC’s 350 workers will be let go between November and April 2025.
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From the time of the closing announcement in June 2023 to the first round of retrenchment, STC says it worked with its employees to ease the transition through retrenchment packages and post-career planning, with about 95% of staff attending around 300 training courses.
“During this time, affected employees and those working within the horse racing community will have ample time to consider their career options and manage their personal commitments,” said STC president and chief executive Irene Lim at a press conference on June 5, 2023.
Beyond this, 420 workers employed by horse trainers will be given skills training and career counselling, although this solution arrived only after concerns were raised following the group’s exclusion from the post-closing easing offered to the club’s direct staff.
At the time of STC’s closing announcement, queries were raised on whether key stakeholders had been adequately consulted before the decision was made. A central grievance was the 16-month window leading to the final race, which many in the sport regarded as an insufficient time frame for a seamless exit.
On this, Indranee stressed the importance of prioritising housing for Singaporeans.
She said: “We would not usually go for public consultation on whether or not to take back a particular site. That has to be part of the planning the government looks at.
“But before the decision was made, we had engaged very widely with Singaporeans at large on land use, and one thing which came back very strongly — not just from Singaporeans who may engage but in this House in recent debates — was the need for more housing. In particular, public housing.”
A quiet farewell
The Edge Singapore visited the Kranji racecourse on Sept 2, two weeks before the final race. The crowd was sparse, a far cry from Oct 5’s attendance of 10,000; the number instead looked closer to 2022’s average of 2,600.
One spectator, a retiree in his mid-60s, found refuge in the low number of spectators, preferring it to a bustling mass. “I used to work around this area on weekends, so I would come once in a while to relax.”
While there was notable excitement with each live race, he and other attendees were as thrilled monitoring other races in Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia through live broadcasts.
He remains keen on following the sport, despite being saddened by the closing.
“Over time, I got into [horse racing]. I watch [other races] on television and I’m subscribed to the live streaming service offered by Singapore Pools.”
He continues, laughing: “I won’t be coming on the final day, there will be too many people, it won’t be relaxing. I am sad — I’ll be more bored at home now. But what can I do; we are a small country with little space, so it’s just the way things have to be.”
