Catching up with the times: Turf club faces uphill task to draw younger crowd, non-horse racing fans

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Turf Club has moved a step closer towards its vision of becoming an “integrated and extraordinary leisure destination”, but the challenge remains on how it can make itself appeal to non-horse racing fans, according to people TODAY spoke to.

Twenty years after moving from Bukit Timah to Kranji, Singapore’s only horse racing club had recently issued a request for information (RFI), seeking ideas on how it can remake itself.

In all, 34 local and international companies responded, and non-punters have told TODAY that whether they would be attracted to the club after its revamp would depend on what food options and “unique” experiences it has to offer.

“While the racecourse will continue to operate, the plan is not to promote horse racing activities, but to reimagine how the racecourse land and its existing facilities can be rationalised, re-planned and optimised such that the remainder of the site can be redeveloped into an integrated and extraordinary leisure destination with unique offerings and attractions,” the Tote Board, which operates the turf club, said in its RFI, which closed last Monday (Nov 4).

These may include theme attractions and accommodations, retail opportunities as well as community spaces and parks, stated the RFI.

In an email response to TODAY, a spokesperson from Tote Board said that the purpose of the RFI was to gauge market interests from firms.

DRAWING THOSE BEYOND THE REGULAR CROWD

The Singapore Turf Club has made known its desire to appeal to those beyond its regular crowd of punters.

In 2018, its chief executive Chong Boo Ching told the media that he wanted to transform the club’s space to accommodate other uses such as for sports and community events.

When TODAY visited the club on a Sunday afternoon recently, there were mostly older Singaporeans there.

Many were with groups of friends, and chose to sit within the grandstand’s air-conditioned area in front of television sets that screened horse races not just at the turf club, but also those from Ipoh and Hong Kong.

Horse races at the club are usually held on Fridays and Sundays.

Entry to the grandstand on the first level is S$8, although it is only S$6 if one pays through EZ-Link card or cashcard. For S$30, the public may enter the lounge on the third floor of the club, which oversees the race track.

As the races started and were televised on the screens, crowds would gather around and cheer on their favourite horses as they galloped towards the finish line.

Punters there told TODAY that they were usually there on the weekends to pass the time, with “small money” of between S$100 and S$200. They would stay for a few hours.

One lady, who declined to be named, said that she was hooked by the complexity of horse racing. “You need to analyse the horse’s weight, its standings in previous races, its shine. You can’t just come here once and expect to win. You need to study the races over several sessions.”

However, others such as Mr Christopher Tan, a relief security officer, said that it is all about luck.

When asked why he thinks younger people are not attracted to horse racing, Mr Tan, 64, said: “Young people are more interested in romance, sports and dating over the weekend.”

Mr Kiran Asarpota, a 40-year-old British citizen who was visiting the turf club in Singapore for the first time, described the place as “quiet”.

Having lived in Singapore for the past 12 years, he noted that horse racing does not seem to be big here and was not promoted like an event.

In Hong Kong for instance, horse racing is a festive affair with food and drink stalls on its premises. In comparison, only one food court was spotted on the premises of the club here.

“They should promote horse racing as an event or make a carnival out of it so that people here have things to do in between races,” suggested Mr Asarpota.

WHY MILLENNIALS DON’T GO THERE

One younger person spotted at the club was 33-year-old Mr Kelvin Chai, who works in the finance industry. He said that he had started visiting the turf club with his father 10 years ago and now visits the place once a month with his family.

He said that he comes to the club to place bets as the entry fees are cheaper, compared with Singapore casinos where locals have to pay S$150 to get in.

But his peers, he said, prefer simpler forms of gambling such as football betting.

Agreeing, Mr Sivakumar, a 30-year-old who has never visited the turf club, pointed out that horse racing involves a lot of research, and various factors can affect the outcome of a race, such as the horse, the jockey and the weather.

However, Mr Sivakumar, a communications executive who wished to be known only by his first name, said that he might visit the club if the betting process was made simpler or if someone was on hand to explain the process.

Like Mr Sivakumar, several other millennials whom TODAY spoke to said that they had never visited the turf club at Kranji, with some describing it as “ulu”, the Malay term for remote.

Even though the club is a five-minute walking distance from Kranji MRT station, many felt that it was located in an area of Singapore which has little else to offer.

Ms Olivia Ng, a 27-year-old content strategist, said that for someone like herself with no interest in betting, travelling to Kranji from where she lived in central Singapore was too far.

She added that she would prefer to visit if there was “unique food” or interactive experiences involving horses, such as being able to view how they are prepared before races.

Ms Joanne Loh, a 29-year-old civil servant, said that she will be more likely to visit the place if it were to be revamped into something similar to the Science Park, which she frequents with her family despite the distance from her home in Bukit Batok.

The Science Park has increased its offerings of food options over the last few years, including with the opening of Savourworld, a cluster of restaurants featuring various eateries and entertainment establishments since 2017.

She added that shuttle buses from more central areas like Orchard, or more residentially-populated areas like Chua Chu Kang may incentivise people to visit the turf club.

While the Tote Board said in an email response that the project to redevelop race course is not intended to make horse racing in Singapore more attractive to younger people, the club appears to have made some attempts to draw more crowds, including those of the younger demographic, to the area. In April this year, it hosted the Shilin Night Market featuring Taiwanese-inspired food and retail activities.

It will also be hosting ArtBox Singapore on its grounds later this month, a flea market which offers a variety of food, entertainment and art workshops.  

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TO OVERCOME INACCESSIBILITY

Speaking to TODAY, tourism expert Michael Chiam agreed that accessibility is a problem faced by the Singapore Turf Club. He also feels that the club is “very isolated”, with nothing else on offer in the area.

He believes that more has to be done to attract non-gamblers, by having activities like horse riding or providing unique food options.

“In order for (any revamp) to work, it has to be of great value for people to get there in spite of the inconvenience,” said Dr Chiam, a senior tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He also noted that the club has ample space.

He pointed to Dempsey Hill, which has similar accessibility issues, and how it has been able to draw people there by offering a variety of food options and free parking.

“The turf club needs to create a branding of its own that is novel and different from elsewhere in Singapore,” said Dr Chiam.