June, 2023
The government announced on June 5, 2023, that the Singapore Turf Club’s current site in Kranji will be returned to the government by March 2027 to make way for housing and other developments in the area. In a statement, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of National Development (MND) said the decision came amid declining spectatorship for local horse racing over the years, and a continuous review of land-use plans to meet future needs.
Based on the plot ratios of nearby residential estates, such as Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands, which range between 1.4 and 3, the 120-ha site could yield about 20,000 to 40,000 homes. Mr Tan See Nin, the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s senior director for physical planning, said at the press conference that master planning for the site has only just begun, and will take another two to three years.
The land and its surroundings will be “holistically master-planned” to include redeveloping the Woodlands Checkpoint, rejuvenating Woodlands Town, and master-planning Lim Chu Kang into a high-tech agri-food cluster. The government stated in particular that the Singapore racecourse site will be used for “housing, including public housing”. Other potential uses, including leisure and recreation will also be explored.
The STC was founded as the Singapore Sporting Club in 1842. It moved to the present facility in Kranji, which features a five-storey grandstand, in 1999. With the handover due in 2027, the horse-racing venue will host its last race meeting on Oct 5, 2024; the facility will close by March 2027. Its last event will be the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup.
In a separate statement, the STC said it will work with the government to ensure a well-managed exit for local horse racing. This includes offering support for racehorse owners and trainers for horse maintenance and exportation, it pointed out. The process will mean that about 700 horses will be exported in phases by March 2026.
It added that its some 350 employees will be offboarded in phases, in accordance with the Ministry of Manpower’s regulatory requirements and guidelines. MOF and MND noted that the first phase will begin around 16 months from this announcement.