SINGAPORE – Racehorse owners in Singapore intend to write a formal appeal to the Government to postpone the scheduled closure of the Singapore Turf Club (STC) in 2027, and to ask for fair compensation packages for the horse racing fraternity. 

Members of the Association of Racehorse Trainers (Singapore) met with around 30 horse owners on Wednesday (June 14) evening at the Cheval Cafe Bar Bistro along Upper Paya Lebar Road to come to a consensus on their list of requests before the trainers’ next meeting with the STC management. 

Wednesday's meeting began at 5.30pm and ended around 8pm, after which the president of the trainers' association, Mr Michael J Clements, and several horse owners spoke to TODAY and other members of the media waiting outside. 

Mr Hobart Low, who has been part of the horse racing industry for 20 years, said: “As a horse owner, you will definitely want (horse racing) to continue. We want to appeal and plead with the Government, and we want to have our voice heard.”

“And who knows, if miracles happen, the Government may look at the whole situation differently," said Mr Low, 60. 

The Government announced last Monday that the STC will close its facility by March 2027, with plans for the site spanning around 120ha to be used for public housing and recreation. The last race is scheduled for October 2024.

Mr Clements believes that it is fair for the owners to request for an extension to the March 2027 deadline, adding that the trainers would be supportive of that decision.

“We will be working with the owners to put forward that representation. However, immediately we need to ensure that racing continues and is sustainable in the months going forward, and at the same time work with the owners on their requests for an extension,” he said. 

Wednesday's meeting was not open for media coverage but for most of the evening, Mr Clements could be seen gesturing passionately while addressing the attendees who were seated. 

The owners have also decided to form an eight-member working committee to represent the viewpoints of over 500 registered horse owners in the country. 

“It's a working committee that will represent all of the owners in Singapore. And this committee is going to work closely with the trainers' association with regard to putting forward our proposals as to how we move forward with the club and with the various government departments,” said Mr Clements.

STAKEHOLDERS BEMOAN LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Over the past week, racehorse owners, trainers and their staff have voiced their frustrations to TODAY, deeming the 16-month period until the scheduled last race in October 2024 insufficient for transitioning out of the sport. 

“Some of the syces have been there since the Bukit Timah days,” said 60-year-old horse owner Victor Chng.

“I feel like it’s murder to the people who have been in this industry. Do you think the people there can change their skill sets so easily?” 

Some horse owners also said that the STC did not consult them before the sudden announcement. 

“Was there any invitation by the club to talk to the owners? Zero. We spend so much money to buy horses to support the turf club and this is what happened,” said horse owner Freddy Goh, 73, who recently purchased a one-year-old horse from Australia. 

“Without stakeholders, there is no Singapore racing. They have all of the horse owners’ telephone numbers and emails, why have they not invited us for a meeting?” 

Mr Jonathan Chng, the 32-year-old founder of Everest Racing Club who was also present at Wednesday’s meeting, said that many of the owners felt disrespected due to the perceived lack of communication and transparency from the STC.

“They have failed to account for the millions of dollars being invested. The agenda of this meeting was to appoint an owner’s committee to speak to the government officials, so at least the owners’ voices are heard,” he said. 

Mr Goh and other horse owners told TODAY that in late 2022, they were informed by STC of plans to reintroduce several feature races that were curtailed during the Covid-19 pandemic back into the calendar.

This prompted horse owners to buy new horses to compete in the races. 

“It gave us false hope. We bought the horses, and then the bombshell came that the club is going to close,” Mr Goh said.

Ms Christina Chua, STC’s chief marketing officer, told the Straits Times on Monday that the club did not encourage the horse racing fraternity to invest in new horses after Covid-19. 

STC president and chief executive Irene Lim also met racehorse trainers last Friday, but according to multiple sources, the meeting did not yield anything conclusive. 

'ENORMOUS IMPACT' ON HORSE RACING COMMUNITY

The Asian Racing Federation, in a statement on its website on Tuesday, expressed its disappointment at the Government’s decision to cease racing in 2024.

“The decision will have an enormous impact on many careers, businesses and lives which were based upon an expectation that racing would continue in Singapore into the future,” said the federation's chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

“It also poses major challenges to the welfare of Singapore’s existing horse population of over 700 horses, which will need to be rehomed overseas.” 

Mr Winfried said that STC had provided the federation with a “detailed briefing” on how it would wind down the racing industry, and that the federation has expressed its concerns to the club.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, members of the trainers' association also met to come to a consensus on the next steps for the community. 

“The immediate ground that we wish to cover with the Singapore Turf Club is ensuring that racing can continue,” said Mr Clements. 

“We've expressed up to now serious concerns that racing may well collapse in the next few months. So our initial work with the club is going to be getting through the next few months and into next year.

“This will then give us some time and ground to be able to address all of our other numerous concerns going forward.”

Mr Jonathan Chng believes that the appeal is the horse racing fraternity's last hope. 

“I wouldn’t say (the meeting) ended with relief, but our backs are against the wall. I hope the owners unite and fight for the rights of the sport,” he said.