After 182 years, racing comes to an end in Singapore

Singapore is prosperous, but it is not very big. Its 273 square miles make it only half as large as O'ahu, the island that is home to Honolulu.

In a country that seems to be rich in everything but land, the 297 acres that have been the home of Kranji Racecourse since 1999 had bigger priorities than maintaining a sport that has been in decline.

So the government said last year it would take over the land that had been a home to racehorses and use it to build homes for humans. Closing day was Saturday. The Grand Singapore Gold Cup, a stakes worth US$1 million, was the last race on the last card, ending nearly two centuries of racing in the small island nation.

“I always wanted to win it, and finally I won the last one,” trainer David Kok said after 6-year-old Smart Star rallied to win the feature by a neck.

“Getting my first win in Singapore felt awesome,” said winning jockey Muzi Yeni, who was visiting from South Africa. “The racing (atmosphere) in this country is crazy, even if I also felt a bit sad knowing that’s the last race.”

About 10,000 fans showed up for the finale, according to The Straits Times of Singapore, far more than the typical gatherings of hundreds of people who peppered the grandstand in recent years.

“Today we celebrated Singapore’s 182-year horse-racing heritage and most importantly the dedicated employees who built Singapore Turf Club’s legacy,” club president Irene M.K. Lim said in a statement. “Their passion and commitment have shaped this historic moment. ... It is a proud and fitting tribute to honor them as we create lasting memories with the people of Singapore. May the spirit of this legacy inspire generations to come.”

Scotland merchant William Henry Macleod Read was credited with bringing the sport to the island when he opened the Singapore Sporting Club, according to the Times. The organization was renamed the Singapore Turf club 100 years ago. It has run races at three sites, first Serangoon Road, then Bukit Timah starting in 1933 and finally Kranji.

The newspaper report said 240 horses still are stabled at the track, which has seen a gradual exodus since the closing was announced abruptly in June 2023. They have until March 2026 to be relocated.

Some horsemen already have moved their horses north to nearby Malaysia, which has had a lower profile of racing since 1864.