NationThailand/StraitsTimes/ANN-Oct 6
With the shutters to come down on the Singapore Turf Club (STC), about 10,000 racegoers turned up at the Kranji facility for one last hurrah on Oct 5.
Home of Singapore horse racing since 1842, the STC marked the end of its 182-year chapter in local history with a grand farewell featuring 10 races – culminating in the $1.38 million Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The 124ha land will be returned to the Government by March 2027 and is set to make way for housing and other developments. All the free admission tickets to Grandstand Level 1 at the Turf Club were snapped up online, and a limited number of free Grandstand Level 1 tickets were available for on-site redemption on Sept 21 28, and Oct 5. People of all ages filled the Kranji facility on its final day to explore the premises and capture memories as they snapped photos around the venue. For some, like boilerman Tan Hock Leng, 58, being at the STC brought back fond memories. A love for horses was what got him started on watching racing more than 20 years ago, but it had been two decades since he last visited the venue. He said: “There is no choice. We have to find other forms of entertainment.” Indonesian businessman Allen Santoso, who does not usually attend horse races, flew in from Surabaya for four days just to catch the last race at the STC. He said: “It is a historic event, maybe I will make some bets. It has been part of the culture in Singapore and it is the last day, so I wanted to be part of a little history of this place.” Horse racing was introduced to Singapore more than 180 years ago by Scottish merchant William Henry Macleod Read, who founded the Singapore Sporting Club, which was later renamed the Singapore Turf Club in 1924. To accommodate the growing interest in racing, the STC sold its Serangoon Road racecourse and built a new facility in Bukit Timah in 1933, before it finally moved to Kranji in 1999. Over the years, it has hosted dignitaries including the late Queen Elizabeth II, as well as events such as the Youth Olympic Games. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/sport/40042120
