The racecourse land will be redeveloped, and Singapore's 180 year history of horse racing will come to an end. Land redevelopment | The only racecourse will be closed | Singapore

Release time:Apr 13, 2024 20:54 PM

The Singapore Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Development issued a statement on the 5th stating that Singapore's only racecourse, the Jockey Club, will hold its final race in October 2024 and close in March 2027. The local government has decided to use the site for development to meet land use needs. This means that Singapore's 180 year history of horse racing will come to an end, attracting public attention.

Difficult Decision

"Singapore is a city-state with limited land. The government continuously reviews land use plans to meet current needs while ensuring sufficient land for future generations to use." The two departments stated in a statement that in recent years, the number of spectators for local equestrian events has also been decreasing.

The Singapore government has decided to redevelop this 120 hectare site, which will be used for housing, including public housing, and may also be used for leisure and entertainment activities in the future. Meanwhile, development work will be incorporated into the overall development plan of the surrounding areas.

"This is not an easy decision, but it is necessary," said the second minister of Singapore's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development, Yinglan Ni, at a press conference on the same day, stating that the local people's demand for land use is constantly increasing.

The Singapore Jockey Club stated on the same day that horse racing has a long and outstanding history in the local area, and they are saddened by the government's decision. But the guild also stated that they need to understand the local land demand and the development potential of this site. Therefore, the guild respects the government's decision and will strive to ensure that the horse race exits smoothly in the local area. The last race will be the 100th Singapore Gold Cup held on October 5, 2024. The guild also stated that the attendance rate of horse racing tracks has been decreasing in the past decade.

A hundred year history

The reason why the Singapore government's decision to suspend horse racing tracks has attracted widespread public attention is related to the long history of this tradition.

The history of this racecourse can be traced back to 1842, when Scottish businessman William Henry MacLeod Reed and several other horse racing enthusiasts founded the Singapore Sports Club and introduced this sport to Singapore.

Afterwards, this popular sport among Europeans continued to develop in Asia. In 1924, this sports club was renamed the Jockey Club and moved to a larger venue in 1933- Bukit Chi Ma in western Singapore. At that time, the audience size was about 5000 people.

It is worth mentioning that the late Queen Elizabeth II of England had a strong connection with this racecourse. As is well known, the Queen was an equestrian enthusiast during her lifetime. In 1972, she came to the Singapore Jockey Club to attend the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. At that time, about 26000 spectators came to admire the name. In 2006, the queen went to the local area again to participate in related activities.

It is reported that in the early 21st century, the prize money for local equestrian events had already reached millions of Singapore dollars, and the horse racing guild had also relocated to Kranzi in northern Singapore, costing 500 million Singapore dollars to build. In Singapore, where land is precious, this racecourse covers an area of 120 hectares, equivalent to 200 football fields. The five story stands can accommodate 30000 spectators and have been in operation ever since.

According to local media reports, the Singapore Jockey Club holds approximately 550 races annually, with a revenue of approximately SGD 400000 per race. Singapore's total annual horse racing revenue is approximately SGD 1.1 billion, including betting on overseas events.

However, times are changing. According to Yinglanni, in recent years, people's attention to horse racing has decreased, with the number of spectators dropping from 11000 in 2010 to 6000 in 2019. By the end of the COVID-19 epidemic, the number had dropped to 2600. "This trend is not unique to Singapore," she said, but has appeared in many parts of the world.

Industry insiders also indicate that with the emergence of other sports betting options, people's interest in horse racing is starting to decrease, and other countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are also experiencing this trend.

At the same time, the scarcity of land in Singapore is becoming increasingly prominent. Approximately 5.5 million people live in this country with an area of approximately 730 square kilometers, many of whom live in public housing, and undeveloped land is scarce.

Towards transition

At present, the closure of the horse racing guild will be carried out in three stages - stopping races, transferring horses, and transferring guild assets. However, closing the 180 year old racecourse is not an easy task.

Firstly, many guild staff and horse racing enthusiasts expressed surprise and disappointment. Some horse racing enthusiasts have expressed that horse racing is a part of the local tradition and history, and the related income supports the country's development. Moreover, Singapore does not have many entertainment activities, so closing the racecourse would be a pity. Perhaps the government can explore other options.

When asked why she chose to close the racecourse instead of golf courses and other venues, Yinglanni said that in recent years, the local government has taken back "a considerable amount" of golf courses.

Analysts also suggest that due to the decreasing attention to horse racing, the local government has made a cautious decision to redevelop, which can optimize land resource allocation and support the development of the northern region of Singapore. The estimated number of residential units that can be built on this land is between 20000 and 40000.

Secondly, shutting down the only racecourse may cause some damage to relevant personnel, including racehorses and trainers. It is reported that the Jockey Club currently has about 350 employees and 700 racehorses.

In response, the Singapore government has stated that it will take a series of transitional measures, including taking into account the needs of equestrian entities that plan to continue operating in Singapore, providing employment assistance for laid-off guild staff, and providing support for horse maintenance and export for racers and trainers. Local media reported that the Singapore government will also cooperate with the Jockey Club and other parties to preserve this traditional heritage.

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