Singapore to hold last horse race after 182 years as fraternity laments – ‘it’s a funeral’

Once home to 700 horses, the stables have seen an exodus in recent months following the announcement last year that horse racing is ending to make way for housing in land-scarce Singapore.

The final race, the Grand Singapore Gold Cup, will take place on Saturday in front of an anticipated 10,000-strong crowd at Singapore Turf Club.

“This grand day happening on Saturday, it’s not grand for us. It’s a funeral,” Australian trainer Daniel Meagher told This Week in Asia on Wednesday from the club’s stables. “When it’s taken out of your hands it’s hard to celebrate.”

Meagher, 41, is one of 16 trainers who chose to remain in Singapore and race till the end. Others, including decades-long Kranji trainers like New Zealander Stephen Gray, Singaporean Michael Clements and Australian Shane Baertschiger have already called it quits.

They are among those in the horse racing fraternity who are disappointed with the way the closure was handled by the club and authorities.