Horse trainers, jockeys and other industry players held an emergency meeting on Tuesday after the authorities announced that the Singapore Turf Club will shut for good, with its last race, the 100th Singapore Gold Cup, on Oct 5, 20241. The land the Kranji racecourse now stands on will be handed back to the government in 2027 and be redeveloped for housing, leisure and recreation facilities1.
The Association of Racehorse Trainers said about 700 people in the industry could be affected, on top of about 350 Singapore Turf Club employees who will be retrenched and given help to reskill and with job placement1. Association president Michael Clements said the news was "devastating" and that it was "kind of surreal to have such an announcement made out of the blue without any form of dialogue between the government and the industry players"1.
"The concern now is that (the industry) may well collapse before the end of October. The morale of everybody after today's announcement is so low."
Trainer Jason Lim, 42, said he employs 15 workers to manage about 30 horses, with owners paying a monthly maintenance fee of about S$4,000 (US$3,000) each1. He said some owners had already texted him to "take the horse," saying they will not pay for maintenance anymore, and referred to the 700 horses at the club: "We are not talking about cars, we're talking about live animals"1. Jockey Jerlyn Seow, 29, who got her racing license in 2019, said she felt "nauseous" when she heard the news1.
The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development said the government had taken a "considered approach" and that it was unable to engage all stakeholders before the announcement due to its sensitive nature1. One reason given for the closure was that interest in horse racing worldwide, including Singapore, has declined over the years1.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2023 | Closure announced |
| Oct 5, 2024 | Last race, the 100th Singapore Gold Cup |
| March 2026 | Deadline for racehorse owners to export their horses |
| March 2027 | Handover of the club's land and assets |
What it means for players
Local horse racing in Singapore ends after the Oct 5, 2024 Gold Cup, so there will be no further Singapore race meetings to bet on at Kranji after that date1. The club has been allowed until March 2026 for racehorse owners to export their horses, and the handover of its land and assets was extended to March 20271. Transition support for owners includes horse maintenance support to encourage them to keep racing until the last race, and support to export their racehorses afterwards1. What support, if any, will go to trainers and their employees is not clear; Clements said the association would issue a statement soon1. For background on the sport and how betting on it works across the region, see Horse Racing and Betting in Asia, and for the wider market see Can I Gamble in Singapore?.
What happens next
The Association of Racehorse Trainers said it will issue a statement soon1. The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development said it has plans to engage with trainers and jockeys to hear their concerns and inform them of available support, and that the Singapore Turf Club has been engaging employees, trainers and owners on transition support since Monday1.
