Racing in Singapore is set to be discontinued from October next year following a government decision to repurpose the 120 hectares of land in Kranji on which the Singapore Racecourse currently sits.

It is a crushing blow to the hard-working participants, with the Singapore Turf Club to hold its final race meeting on 5 October 2024.

Racing has taken place in Singapore for more than 180 years across three venues  - Farrer Park, Bukit Timah and Kranji – with the latter the home of the Singapore Turf Club for the past 23 years.

The land-constrained nation continually reviews its land use plans to best meet its needs and the crown-owned site at Kranji represents a valuable resource.

"This was not an easy decision, but necessary," said Second Minister for Finance and for National Development Indranee Rajah at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

“We do need this land for other uses. We want to ensure that land-use is optimised to meet Singaporeans needs. We plan not just for this generation, but for the next.

“The idea is to use this land for a few different things – firstly housing, including public housing and other potential uses including leisure and recreation.

“This is in line with a broader plan to develop the northern region.”

The decision has rocked the tight-knit racing community, where there are 23 licensed trainers that look after a total of 716 thoroughbreds, including Kiwi expats Stephen Gray and Donna Logan.

For Logan, the announcement came as a shock and she is now doing her best to put on a brave face as she looks after her team – both human and equine.

“The Singapore Turf Club made a $50 million profit last year and I could never in my wildest dreams imagine how a government would abandon this amount of people and horses,” Logan told SEN Track.

“It’s been a real kick in the guts for me. Even if they had said we’re closing but there is a glimpse of privatisation, it gives people a bit of hope, but there is nothing.

“I had a staff meeting and said to the staff that I would be here to turn the lights out team, and I hope you’re here with me.

“The support from my staff has been incredible.”

Racing in Singapore has been on the wane for more than a decade, with the implementation of a casino in 2010, coupled with restrictions on promoting the sport as a result of a conservative government attitude towards racing, playing a significant role in the decline.

In addition, the rise of unregulated gambling as opposed to betting through the totalisator has also been detrimental to the sustainability of the once mighty racing jurisdiction.

After a stressful COVID period which resulted in several high-profile trainers and jockeys exiting the island nation, there had looked to be renewed enthusiasm for the sport in recent times.

The club have indicated that horse welfare will be a priority. The government has said horses will be exported to new homes and costs will be covered, while a monthly incentive of S$700 per month is being offered to keep horses in training.