2023-06-06 07:20:02
(Agence France-Presse, Singapore, 6th) Singapore’s 180-year-old horse racing event will come to an end. The only racecourse in the country is about to be closed, and the site will be returned to the government for redevelopment and the construction of public housing.
The final race, the 100th edition of the Grand Singapore Gold Cup, will be held in October next year, the Singapore Turf Club (STC) said.
The Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1842 by a Scottish businessman and other horse racing enthusiasts, and its current racecourse at Kranji opened in 2000, replacing the old Bukit Timah Racecourse.
“It is with great sadness that the government has decided to close the racecourse,” Niam Chiang Meng, chairman of the Singapore Turf Club, said in a press release.
“At the same time, we understand Singapore’s land needs, including potential uses such as housing and recreation.”
The Singapore Turf Club admits that the number of people attending races has declined over the past decade.
The Singapore Turf Club said owners and trainers would receive assistance with the care and export of their horses.
Singaporean media reported that the racecourse has about 700 racehorses.
The 120-hectare land will be returned to the government in 2027 for the development of public housing and other construction projects.
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