A RACING venue visited by Queen Elizabeth II has closed its doors to the public for a final time.
The Kranji racecourse was home to the historic Singapore Turf Club.
The Singapore Turf Club moved to Kranji in 2000[/caption]
The venue closed its doors for the final time on Saturday[/caption]
Her Majesty, who held a keen interest in horses, twice visited the historic club.
She first went there in 1972, before visiting again in 2006 alongside husband Prince Philip, following the club’s move to Kranji.
The Singapore Turf Club was formed in 1842, and previously attracted huge crowds.
It moved to Kranji in 2000, with its first race there bringing in 30,000 punters.
Those numbers haven’t been seen at the track for several years, however, and even its final meet on Saturday attracted a comparatively meagre 10,000 spectators.
Due to small attendances, the club struggled to attract sponsors in its final years.
In 2023 it was announced that the 127-hectare site would be turned into affordable housing.
The project is planned to be completed by 2027.
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Around 700 racing horses previously resided in Singapore, although that number is now believed to have fallen to 240 – with many having moved to nearby Malaysia.
Horse owner Eric Koh was in a sombre mood ahead of Saturday’s final meet at Kranji.
He told Channel News Asia: “There’ll be guests who will be very excited and will be out there for a fun day out.
“But to a lot of us the trainers, the owners, the jockeys it’ll be quite a solemn and sad day.
“It’s like attending a funeral, really. The reality has set in.
“We have all accepted that there’s no U-turn and so we just have to move on.”
Queen Elizabeth II was a keen racing enthusiast[/caption]
