The signs of the end of Singapore Turf Club have long been there, with falling attendance, revenue and interest in horse racing, says sports writer Mathew Scott.
But it was the announcement on Monday that prompted chatter, with the international racing community asking how exactly the end had come to pass.
“The shock is that racing in Singapore has always seemed such an important part of local culture,” is how the now-retired, Hong Kong-based Australian trainer John Moore put it.The grandstand at the Bukit Timah Racecourse was packed on race days. 'This is the only thing I know': Horse trainers, jockeys express shock, disbelief at Turf Club closureMoore is one of those who should know about Singapore racing.
It’s little wonder Moore would go on to claim one of the city’s top races, the Group One Singapore Airlines International Cup, three times . But he said that the first hint of the beginning of the end for Singapore racing came in 2015, when the decision was made to cease staging that particular race. As a result, the country lost a little of its lustre on the global scene.
But there have been success stories. Look to Hong Kong, with a similar population and land mass to Singapore. A jockey club turned over a record US$36.9 billion last season thanks to a massive and effective publicity machine and the quality of its racing product.
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