Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
SINGAPORE: About 10,000 guests are expected to turn up for the final race meeting at the Singapore Turf Club (STC) in less than three weeks, which will honour its rich 182-year legacy.
On Oct 5, the racecourse in Kranji will be hosting the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup, the jewel in the crown of local horse racing. The grand farewell will feature an elevated programme with 10 races that will pay tribute to the home of Singapore’s horse racing heritage.
The club will close by March 2027 to make way for housing and other development.
Over the years, it has hosted dignitaries including the late Queen Elizabeth II, and events such as the Youth Olympic Games.
Each race will focus on a particular period of the club, honouring its heritage across the different eras.
Beyond the races, the public can enjoy a specially curated Heritage Walk chronicling the evolution of the Singapore Gold Cup.
There will also be an exhibition to showcase the winning entries of the STC’s photo competition from its employees and members of the public. More than 200 entries were received across the three categories – architecture, flora and fauna, and racing.
“Our main goal is really to let people see the club from a different perspective. There’s not just racing,” said STC assistant manager of corporate marketing Tan Ren Keat.
“Through this initiative, we received quite an overwhelming response.”
The club’s head of tracks R Jayaraju, who has helped maintain the race tracks for more than two decades, told CNA that he is focused on preparing for the last dance.
“Emotions run very high. But on the other hand, what we need to do is (that) we want to showcase our capacity,” he said.
“If we get emotions running over us, we don’t go anywhere. We want to celebrate this event with the rest of the world.”
Mr Jayaraju is among STC employees who will be honoured through one of the races on the final day. They also got to vote for the trophy’s name, which they have called the Singapore Turf Club Trophy.
Due to overwhelming demand, all the free admission tickets to the Grandstand Level 1 have been redeemed online. A limited number of free Grandstand Level 1 tickets are still available for on-site redemption on upcoming race days on Sep 21, 28 and Oct 5.
Jockeys and horse owners affected by the club’s closure told CNA’s Singapore Tonight on Tuesday (Sep 17) that the final race meeting will be a bittersweet affair.
“There’ll be guests who will be very excited and will be out there for a fun day out,” said horse owner Eric Koh, managing director of horse care service provider Equine Sanctuary.
“But to a lot of us – the trainers, the owners, the jockeys – it’ll be quite a solemn and sad day. It’s like attending a funeral really, because it’s the last day of Singapore racing after 182 years.”
The equine and horse racing industry had hoped for a U-turn on the closure, noted Mr Koh, who has been busy planning for the relocation of horses.
“But I guess by now, the reality has set in,” he said. “So (for most of the industry), we have all accepted that there’s no U-turn and so we just have to move on.”
While there is the option of racing overseas, it is “a different feeling” when competing at home, he added.
“Since the announcement of (the closure last year), there has been a lot of interest among other Asian countries that want to set up a racetrack as well.”
For former jockey Matthew Kellady, who is now a work rider at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the STC was where he met his wife.
“My whole life is (in Singapore), it means everything to me,” he said. “It’s very hard for me to relocate, and find a new job,” he told CNA from Guangzhou.
“I have to leave behind my wife and my three kids in Singapore, and I have missed all their birthdays and other important life events.
“While I’m very grateful for the job in China, it is very lonely, being here all alone by myself. It’s a very hard decision for me to make to come all the way here, to leave the family behind.”
English