The numbers don’t lie, and it’s hard to envision a U-turn on decision to close Kranji Racecourse

IN SINGAPORE, there is a pressing need for more land to build public housing. At the same time, there is no need for the Singapore Turf Club (STC) to continue draining its coffers.

Couple those truisms, and it’s perhaps easier to understand and accept why horse-racing in Singapore will soon come to an end after being a fixture in the local sporting calendar for the past 181 years.

Sentimentalists, however, may still find it difficult to digest the rationale behind the STC’s impending closure in October 2024.

“History”, “heritage” and “legacy” will be buzzwords in their ultimately futile arguments to maintain this longstanding tradition that was once etched as a sport for kings and a pastime for the commoner.

But seriously – despite all the sadness and shock felt by the horse-racing community after the government’s announcement on Monday (Jun 5) that it will shut the Kranji Racecourse to use the land for housing and other purposes – it was quite apparent that horse-racing in Singapore had reached an abyss before finally tipping over.

The numbers say it all. From a high of 1,100 races per year at one point, that figure is now just half. The betting turnover of S$1.5 million per race about two decades ago has since dwindled to around S$400,000 per race.

Attendances have fallen over the years too, from 11,000 in 2010 to 6,000 in 2019. The horse population has dropped from a high of 1,100 to about 700 today, of which many are nursing injuries.

Some say the beginning of the STC’s decline was in 2010, when Singapore opened its two integrated resorts and caused gamblers to head to the flashy casinos there.

The prize money for some races has also been slashed considerably over the years. For instance, the Emirates Singapore Derby, which made its debut in 1991, had a S$1.15 million prize purse when the race was last held in 2018.

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The Singapore Derby, which replaced the Emirates event, offered S$400,000 for the 2021 edition, down from S$500,000 in 2020 and S$1 million in 2019.

With this gloomy trend showing no signs of improving, it’s become quite apparent that the STC simply cannot carry on like this.

Other countries in the region and beyond have also stepped up their game in the world of horse-racing. Previously, Singapore had only Hong Kong and Macau as its main rivals. Today, the sport has made vast inroads in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Japan and South Korea.

There was a time when world-renowned riders such as Englishman Lester Piggott, Italian Frankie Dettori and Brazilian Joao Moreira would fly to Singapore to woo the crowds here. These days, the best riders have other lucrative destinations with bigger money to head to.

The STC has recognised the severity of the situation for some time now, but could do little to arrest the slide.

About four years ago, the STC drew up plans to repurpose the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji and make it a “unique destination” providing more lifestyle, community and recreation programmes besides horse-racing.

Obviously, the experiment failed, judging by the poor turnout and usage of the spacious, tree-laden 120-hectare facility. The racecourse itself was renovated back in 2016 for about S$80 million.

With about 16 months to go before the closure, the worst-hit in the industry appear to be the trainers. Michael Clements, the president of the Association of Racehorse Trainers, said some of his clients had recently purchased young horses to race in Singapore.

The trainers and various industry players held an emergency meeting on Tuesday and stated that the association will issue a statement soon. But with the government’s clear stance on the growing need for more land, it seems very unlikely that there will be any U-turn on the closure decision or even an extension of the deadline.

In a similar vein, the authorities closed the golf courses at Jurong Country Club and Raffles Country Club some nine years ago, as well as Keppel Club last year, to make way for redevelopment. Other golf clubs, such as Orchid Country Club and Warren Golf & Country Club, are also counting down the months before their sites are eventually taken back.

October 2024 will be the STC’s final event – the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup – and March 2027 will see the closure of the Kranji Racecourse. With these two key dates now known, the writing is already firmly on the wall for the end of the horse-racing era in Singapore.