Horse racing in Singapore ends 180 years with the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup as the last race
Horse racing in Singapore will come to an end in October 2024, with the Singapore Turf Club site in Kranji to be handed back to the government in 2027 for redevelopment
Horse racing in Singapore will come to an end in October 2024, with the Singapore Turf Club site in Kranji to be handed back to the government in 2027 for redevelopment.
The Singapore Turf Club will hold its last race on Oct 5, 2024, and close its facility by March 2027, the government and Singapore Turf Club announced on Monday (Jun 5). The 120 hectares of land in Kranji that is home to the Singapore Racecourse will be redeveloped and used for housing, including public housing, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) said in a joint press release. The government is also studying other potential uses, including leisure and recreation.
"This was not an easy decision, but necessary," said Second Minister for Finance and for National Development Indranee Rajah at a press conference on Monday afternoon, adding that there has been an increasing demand for land in Singapore. Spectatorship has also fallen over the decade. The average attendance per race day has declined significantly, from 11,000 in 2010 to about 6,000 in 2019. After the reopening of the Singapore Racecourse in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the average attendance was about 2,600 spectators per race day, said Ms Indranee. This decrease in spectatorship is not unique to Singapore, with other countries experiencing similar declines, she added.
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Timeline: Last stretch for Singapore Turf Club after more than 180 years
Singapore to end 180 years of horse racing with the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup as the last race
More than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore is set to come to an end with its final race, the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup as the last race in October 2024, as the city-state's only racecourse is to be closed and redeveloped for housing
More than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore is set to come to an end, with the city-state's only racecourse closing and being redeveloped for housing. The Singapore Turf Club (STC) said that the final race, the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup, will take place in 5 October 2024.
The club was founded in 1842 by a Scottish merchant and other horse-racing enthusiasts. The current racecourse in Kranji was opened in 2000, replacing the old Bukit Timah track. We are saddened by the decision of the government to close the club," STC's chairman Niam Chiang Meng said in a press release. "At the same time, we understand the land needs of Singapore, including housing and other potential uses such as leisure and recreation," he added.
The STC acknowledged that attendance at the racecourse had been declining over the past decade. Racehorse owners and trainers will be offered support for horse maintenance and exportation, the club said. There are about 700 racehorses at the club, according to local media. The land will be returned to the government in 2027 and the 120-hectare (300 acres) site will be used for housing, including public housing.
Racing will continue with the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup as the last race on 5 Oct 2024
The Government today announced that about 120 hectares of land in Kranji on which the Singapore Racecourse sits, will be handed back to the Singapore Government in 2027 for redevelopment. Singapore Turf Club will close its facility by March 2027.
The Singapore Turf Club will hold its final race meeting on 5 October 2024, featuring the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup. Singapore Turf Club Chairman Mr Niam Chiang Meng said, “We are saddened by the decision of the Government to close the Club. At the same time, we understand the land needs of Singapore, including housing and other potential uses such as leisure and recreation. We will do our best to ensure business as usual for the Club until our final race meeting. Concurrently, we will work with our stakeholders to ensure a smooth exit for local horse racing and make the necessary preparations for the estate to be handed over to the Government by March 2027.”
Singapore Turf Club to champion world-class horse racing through its last race. Horse racing has a long and distinguished history in Singapore and Singapore Turf Club intends to uphold the stellar reputation of the sport and the racing community. With races continuing until the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup on 5 October 2024, the Club will continue to ensure the sportsmanship, safety and integrity of every race. The Club will work with the Government to ensure a well-managed exit for local horse racing and make the necessary preparations for the estate to be handed over to the Government in 2027. Racehorse owners and trainers will be offered support for horse maintenance and exportation.
More than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore is coming to an end
The Singapore Turf Club on Monday announced that it will hold its final race on 5 October 2024, closing a 180-year-old chapter on horse racing in the city state
After years of placing their faith and hard cash on different horses, seasoned gamblers will soon bid their final bets and farewells to Singapore’s only racecourse. The Singapore Turf Club on Monday announced that it will hold its final race on 5 October 2024, closing a 180-year-old chapter on horse racing in the city state.
“We are saddened by the decision of the Government to close the Club. At the same time, we understand the land needs of Singapore, including housing and other potential uses such as leisure and recreation,” Turf Club Chairman Niam Chiang Meng said in a press release. It also noted that the racecourse has seen a decline of in-person attendance over the past decade. Demand for housing in Singapore has been soaring, pushing 2023′s first-quarter private residential property price index up 11% compared to the same period last year.
“Young people don’t bet on horses, they go to casinos now,” Jimmy, a 67-year-old avid horserace bettor from Singapore told CNBC, adding that racing takes place only once a week on Saturdays and at 30-minute intervals. That frequency wouldn’t be fast enough for some punters, when compared to the speed and convenience offered by casinos which operate 24/7, he suggested. Singapore’s one and only horse racing club was founded in 1842 and features a 30,000-capacity grandstand, and it’s operated across three venues starting in Farrer Park, then Bukit Timah, and subsequently in Kranji. The current racing club currently occupies 120 hectares of land in Kranji.
Singapore government ends 180 years of horse racing in city, will redevelop Kranji
The 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup will be the last race at Kranji on 5 Oct 2024, before the land is handed back to the government by 2027
The Singapore government is set to turn its back on horse racing, with the Singapore Turf Club (STC) confirming on Monday the land on which Kranji racecourse sits will be redeveloped. The final race meeting will be held on October 5, 2024, before the curtain comes down on the sport’s 180-year history in the Lion City and the land is handed back to the government in 2027.
Niam Chiang Meng, the club’s chairman, said they were “saddened by the decision of the government to close the club”. “At the same time, we understand the land needs of Singapore, including housing and other potential uses such as leisure and recreation. “Singapore Turf Club recognises that the Kranji site is a valuable resource that can help meet the evolving needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, and this transition will serve to optimise land use for the greater good of the local community and future generations. We are aligned with the government on the need to invest in the future of Singapore. “We will do our best to ensure business as usual for the club until our final race meeting. Concurrently, we will work with our stakeholders to ensure a smooth exit for local horse racing and make the necessary preparations for the estate to be handed over to the government by March 2027.” Planning is in place for the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup to be the last race at Kranji, while it is believed wagering on overseas racing may continue.
There have been a number of factors behind racing’s demise in the city, with the STC confirming “attendance at the racecourse has been declining over the past decade”, while turnover has been shrinking amid competition for dollars since the opening of two casinos in 2010. There have been prize money cuts in recent years, the horse population has been decreasing, and Covid led to fewer meetings, while Kranji’s two international races – the Singapore Airlines International Cup and the KrisFlyer International Sprint – were discontinued in 2015. “Singapore Turf Club is extremely proud to have been the home of horse racing for nearly two centuries,” said STC president and chief executive Irene Lim. “We are committed to seeing this phase of the nation’s history come to an end in a dignified manner befitting all our stakeholders, including employees, jockeys, racehorse owners, racehorse trainers, the equestrian community and horses that have graced our grounds. “We hope to leave a lasting impression of the club that will be fondly and proudly remembered by Singapore and the world”.
Singapore to hold final horse race after more than 180 years
Horse racing was introduced to Singapore in 1842
The more than 180-year-long history of horse racing in Singapore is set to draw to a close. It has been announced that the small Southeast Asian nation's only racecourse - Singapore Turf Club - will hold its final meeting 0n 5 Oct 2024.
The country's government will take back the 120-hectare site, which will be used for public and private housing. Queen Elizabeth II, who was an avid racegoer and racehorse breeder, has an event named after her at the course. Her late Majesty presented the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Cup during a visit to Singapore in 1972. She attended the feature race a second time in 2006.
"Horse racing has a long and distinguished history in Singapore," the Singapore Turf Club said in a statement late on Monday. "With races continuing until the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup on 5 October 2024, the Club will continue to ensure the sportsmanship, safety and integrity of every race," it added.
Singapore Turf Club to champion world-class horse racing through its last race in October 2024
The Government announced that about 120 hectares of land in Kranji on which the Singapore Racecourse sits, will be handed back to the Singapore Government in 2027 for redevelopment. Singapore Turf Club will close its facility by March 2027. The Singapore Turf Club will hold its final race meeting on 5 October 2024, featuring the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup.
Singapore Turf Club Chairman Mr Niam Chiang Meng said, “We are saddened by the decision of the Government to close the Club. At the same time, we understand the land needs of Singapore, including housing and other potential uses such as leisure and recreation. We will do our best to ensure business as usual for the Club until our final race meeting. Concurrently, we will work with our stakeholders to ensure a smooth exit for local horse racing and make the necessary preparations for the estate to be handed over to the Government by March 2027.”
The Government continually reviews its land use plans to best meet the needs of Singaporeans. The site at Kranji represents a valuable resource in land-scarce Singapore. Mr Niam added, “Singapore Turf Club recognises that the Kranji site is a valuable resource that can help meet the evolving needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, and this transition will serve to optimise land use for the greater good of the local community and future generations. We are aligned with the Government on the need to invest in the future of Singapore.” The Club has seen significant success through its efforts to elevate the sport of horse racing in Singapore, including the doubling of feature races. However, in-person attendance at the racecourse has been declining over the past decade. Horse racing has a long and distinguished history in Singapore and Singapore Turf Club intends to uphold the stellar reputation of the sport and the racing community. With races continuing until the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup on 5 October 2024, the Club will continue to ensure the sportsmanship, safety and integrity of every race. The Club will work with the Government to ensure a well-managed exit for local horse racing and make the necessary preparations for the estate to be handed over to the Government in 2027. Racehorse owners and trainers will be offered support for horse maintenance and exportation.
Local racing operations at Kranji will cease in 2024, with the last meeting scheduled on Oct 5. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Bombshells that normally rock Kranji are either a 100-1 outsider romping home or prize money getting slashed. With punters and racing stakeholders being a resilient lot, they have always bounced back from such setbacks.
But this time, the end of Singapore horse racing spells the point of no return for the community, who reacted with disbelief and sadness on Monday. On Monday, the Singapore Turf Club (STC) addressed the rumours of closure that have been swirling for around a week. It convened two separate emergency meetings, with its president and chief executive Irene Lim speaking to staff at a townhall, and the trainers shortly after.
Local racing operations at Kranji will cease in 2024 with the last meeting scheduled on Oct 5, coinciding with the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup. Later in the afternoon, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of National Development confirmed in a joint press conference that the 120ha of land occupied by the Singapore Turf Club since 1999 will be returned to the government by March 2027 for redevelopment.
Racing in Singapore ends on 5 October 2024
Horses leave the starting gate at Kranji racecourse in Singapore
Horse racing in Singapore, once a rich and powerful mecca for the sport, will come to a shocking and abrupt end in October of 2024 after the Singaporean government announced plans June 5 to reclaim the racecourse land for redevelopment, resulting in the termination of the sport in the jurisdiction.
A statement released by the Singapore Turf Club read: "The government today announced that about 120 hectares of land in Kranji, on which the Singapore Racecourse sits, will be handed back to the Singapore government in 2027 for redevelopment. Singapore Turf Club will close its facility by March 2027. "The Singapore Turf Club will hold its final race meeting Oct. 5, 2024, featuring the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup."
Racing in Singapore has been held for more than 180 years, across three venues in the state, since the Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1842. However, the sport has suffered from a sharp decline in fortunes in recent years. Falling attendances, exacerbated in the post-COVID-19 era, as well plummeting wagering turnover, has resulted in prize money in the jurisdiction being slashed and the horse population decreasing by a quarter in the space of four years from 2014 to 2018, the last time statistics of this nature were published. Singapore has had its number of internationally recognized black-type races reduced dramatically, from a high of 24 in 2020 to only eight for the current racing season, headlined by the Kranji Mile (G3) that took place in May.
No more horse racing: S'pore Turf Club to hold last race in Oct 2024
The Singapore Turf Club (STC) in Kranji will close by March 2027. The last race meeting will be in Oct 2024.
STC chairman Niam Chiang Meng, Singapore Tote Board chief executive Fong Yong Kiang, Urban Redevelopment Authority senior director Tan See Nin, and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah announced STC's closure in a joint press conference on Jun. 5, 2023. STC will hold its last race meeting on Oct. 5, 2024, featuring the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup.
The 120 hectares of land will be handed back to the government for redevelopment by March 2027, the STC press release said. STC is Singapore's only horse racing club. It is founded in 1842.
related: Horse racing average attendance fell to 2,600 in 2022, 350 Turf Club staff to be retrenched
S’pore Turf Club to close Kranji racecourse by March 2027 to make way for housing, other uses
The closure of the Turf Club means the end of over 180 years of horse racing and betting in Singapore. PHOTO: TOTE BOARD
The land where the Singapore Turf Club (STC) in Kranji sits will be returned to the Government by March 2027, making way for housing and other developments in the area. These include previously announced plans to redevelop the area around Woodlands Checkpoint, enhance Woodlands Town under the Remaking Our Heartland programme, and transform the Lim Chu Kang area into a high-tech agri-food cluster.
The closure also means the end of over 180 years of horse racing in Singapore, which has seen dwindling spectatorship over the years. “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,” said Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah at a press conference held at the Ministry of Communications and Information on Monday. She added: “We plan not just for this generation, but for the next.”
The area, covering around 120ha of land, is the size of about 200 football fields and is larger than the whole of Gardens by the Bay, which spans 101 ha. STC, which employs about 350 people, will run its last race, the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup, on Oct, 5, 2024, before it shuts its facility by March 2027.
On its last legs: Horse racing in S’pore to end in 2024
The club was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club by Scottish merchant William Henry Macleod Read and a group of horse racing enthusiasts. Its first race was held in February 1843 to mark the 24th anniversary of Singapore’s founding by Sir Stamford Raffles. The prize money was $150. The inaugural Singapore Cup was watched by more than 300 spectators. Race day was declared a national holiday.
In 1924, Singapore Sporting Club changed its name to Singapore Turf Club, and the first Singapore Gold Cup was held that year. Over the years, big races with top-dollar prizes have featured top horses and jockeys from around the world, with British royalty and tycoons in attendance. Singapore Turf Club remains the only horse racing club and authorised operator for horse racing activities in Singapore. The $500 million Kranji racetrack was designed with the latest in-turf innovation and technology. There are 41 light masts installed around the course, which allowed the club to introduce night racing in 1999.
STC boasts stables with air-conditioned rooms, swimming pools for the horses, and Singapore's only equine veterinary hospital. Its riding centre hosted the 2010 Youth Olympic Games’ equestrian show-jumping event. At the club’s peak, thousands of horse-racing enthusiasts would pack the grandstands on race day. But horse racing’s popularity here has waned. Between 2010 and 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the club saw its average race day attendance decline from about 11,000 spectators to some 6,000. When the racecourse reopened to the public in April 2022, just 2,600 showed up on the average race day - less than half the pre-Covid-19 attendance. Last Monday, STC announced that it would close in October 2024.
Last stretch for Singapore Turf Club after more than 180 years
The original Singapore Sporting Club (predecessor of the Singapore Turf Club) race course in Farrer Park. (Photo: Singapore Turf Club)
The Singapore Turf Club will hold its last race in October next year, marking the end of horse racing in Singapore.
The land the Turf Club occupies in Kranji will be handed back to the government by 2027 for redevelopment.
Here's a look back at more than 180 years of horse racing in Singapore:
- Oct 4, 1842 - The Singapore Turf Club was founded as the Singapore Sporting Club by Scottish merchant William Henry Macleod Read and a group of horse racing enthusiasts. It was then located at Farrer Park. It was renamed the Singapore Turf Club in 1924.
- Feb 23 & 25, 1843 - The club’s first race was held to mark the 24th anniversary of Singapore’s founding by Sir Stamford Raffles. The race day was declared a holiday.
- 1924 - The first Singapore Gold Cup was held, in the same year the club was re-named the Singapore Turf Club. The club's last race, to be held next year, will be the 100th Singapore Gold Cup.
- 1933 - To cater to growing racing interest, the Club sold its Serangoon Road racecourse to the Singapore Improvement Trust and bought 98 ha of the Bukit Timah Rubber Estate to build the Bukit Timah Racecourse. It was officially opened by Sir Cecil Clementi, then Governor of Singapore on Apr 15, 1933.
- 1942 to 1945 - Horse racing was suspended during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. The grandstand and surrounding buildings became hospitals, while the stables and syces’ or grooms' quarters were converted into military car parks. Fruit trees were grown in the fields and the best horses were shipped to Japan. The club reopened in 1947 after the committee spent two years removing damaged military vehicles and repairing the buildings and tracks.
- 1950s, 60s - Sunday racing was introduced in 1959, and, in 1960, members of the public could attend the races if they paid the admission fee of S$4. In 1964, Runme Shaw became the first Asian to be elected as chairman of the club.
- 1972 - Queen Elizabeth visited the Turf Club during her state visit to Singapore. A special race, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup was held in her honour.
- 1988: The Singapore Turf Club was dissolved in March 1988, and Bukit Turf Club was appointed to take over its racing and 4D draw operations. In 1994, the club changed its name back to Singapore Turf Club.
- Aug 22, 1995 - Rock star Rod Stewart’s first concert in Singapore was held at the Singapore Turf Club, playing to audience of 8,000.
- Aug 7, 1999 - The Turf Club moved to the 124 ha Kranji grounds where it's currently located.
- Jan 7, 2019 - Singapore Pools (Private) Limited took over the management and operations of horse betting from Singapore Turf Club.
- 2020 - The Turf Club suspended all local race meetings from the “circuit breaker” which started on Apr 7, 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, community recovery facilities for foreign workers recovering from the coronavirus were constructed at the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji. Racing resumed in July, but behind closed doors. The club reopened to the public in April 2022.
- July 2020 - Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said that the Singapore Tourism Board and Tote Board are exploring concepts for the redevelopment of Singapore Racecourse @ Kranji as a leisure destination. The redevelopment is to complement the nature attractions in the Mandai area such as the Sungei Buloh nature park, Neo Tiew area and the Mandai nature reserve.
- Jun 5, 2023 - Authorities announced that the Singapore Turf Club facility at Kranji will close and the land be returned to the government by 2027.
- Oct 5, 2024 - The final race, the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup.
Singapore Turf Club since 1842
Singapore Turf Club, renowned for its horse racing events, is the oldest existing club in Singapore. It was founded by Scottish merchant William Henry Macleod Read and began as the Singapore Sporting Club (SSC) on 4 October 1842.
The SSC was renamed the Singapore Turf Club (STC) in 1924, but it was de-registered at a later date. The new STC was eventually formed in 1994 when Bukit Turf Club changed its name to Singapore Turf Club. Today, the STC’s horse racing events take place at Kranji Racecourse. These happen on selected Fridays, Sundays and public holidays of each month. Guests must be 18 years old and above to enter the racecourse on race days. The SSC built a grandstand and track on swampy land near the junction of Bukit Timah and Serangoon Roads, in what is today Farrer Park. After the colonial authorities gave their approval, this piece of land was levelled, drained and cleared of trees and tall bush within four months.
The first race the SSC held at the racecourse took place on 23 February 1843. This race marked the 24th anniversary of the founding of Singapore by Stamford Raffles. The track measured 83 yd (75.9 m) and 300 residents comprising mainly of British, and several Germans, Portuguese, Jews and Americans arrived in their horse-drawn carriages for this momentous event. Read took home the prize money of $150 after he won the first Derby, which was called Singapore Cup. During the first two decades of the club’s opening, horse racing was largely favoured by amateurs who were expatriates or members of the Malayan royalty. Owners trained and rode their own ponies. Burmese and Chinese ponies were used before Australian griffins were brought in for the first time in the 1880s. The sale of Australian horses took place in Commercial Square (today’s Raffles Place) until 1886, when the venue was changed to Abrams Horse Repository in Coleman Street.
