With Singapore Turf Club on its last legs, concerns surface over fundraising drying up
The Tote Board said that while STC has played a role in contributing to charitable causes, the community services that it supports will not be affected by its closure.
THE Singapore Turf Club’s (STC) closure is still some months away, but already there are some concerns about the impact that the facility’s departure will have on charities and beneficiaries that have long relied on it for funding.
The club will host its last race in October 2024, and the facility will close for good by March 2027, to make way for new developments such as public housing.
“The closure is not just a blow to the horse-racing industry, but also to those who have relied on proceeds from the club to aid them in living a better life,” said Michael Clements, president of the Association of Racehorse Trainers (Singapore).
“STC has been a significant contributor to numerous community projects and charitable institutions. The ripple effect on charitable organisations and community projects is an extremely distressing aspect of the club’s closure,” he added.
Each year, STC sponsors or contributes in some way to as many as 20 charity organisations as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
Over the years, STC has channelled funds to organisations including the Community Chest, the philanthropic and engagement arm of the National Council of Social Service.
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Beneficiaries include children with special needs, at-risk youths, adults with disabilities, persons with mental health conditions, and seniors in need.
One of the major annual events on the STC calendar is the Charity Bowl; its 2018 edition raised more than S$270,000 for the Community Chest. In a donation drive run by STC in 2019, 2,100 books and toys were collected, raising some S$30,000 for Beyond Social Services.
Most fundraising events were curtailed in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as horse-racing activities were put to a halt.
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The Tote Board – a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance – channels the surpluses from STC and lottery operator Singapore Pools, together with the collection of casino entry levies from citizens and permanent residents, to support worthy causes in the community.
Despite the impending closure of STC, the Tote Board remains confident that its overall fundraising efforts will not be impacted.
A spokesperson for the statutory board said that while STC has played a role in contributing to charitable causes in Singapore, the community services that it supports will not be affected by its closure.
Over the past five years, the Tote Board said it has disbursed an average of more than S$400 million annually to worthy causes in areas such as the arts, health, sports, and social services.
Clements, however, feels that when STC is eventually out of the picture, there could be an immediate shortfall in the funding that charities typically receive.
“Given the current economic climate, these organisations could find it increasingly difficult to fill the funding gap left behind by STC’s closure,” he said.
“We will see businesses in the horse-racing supply chain affected, a valued venue for symbolic events lost, and potentially a drop in the significant annual grant disbursements and CSR initiatives by the Tote Board.”
Spillover effects
Besides the potential decline in fundraising, Clements said the absence of horse-racing could also affect other businesses.
Such impacts include the increased cost of equestrian supplies due to issues of supply and demand, and the loss of food establishments around the club. Horse owners and breeders who rely on horse-racing for their livelihoods would also be affected.
Tourism businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, would also miss out on revenue from visitors who travel to Singapore to watch horse-racing, said Clements.
“Many racehorses at STC have overseas ownership. The closure will mean these owners won’t come to Singapore, and put a stop to the other tourist activities they would normally partake in,” he said.
Relocating the horses is also another mammoth exercise that will require much time and resources to carry out. It costs around S$4,800 a month to maintain a horse, and up to S$25,000 to relocate it.
“Relocating over 700 horses is no easy feat, as there are certain limitations in place, such as transportation, quarantine measures and logistical requirements,” said Clements. “For context, it takes about six weeks to transport a batch of 40 horses to Malaysia, and around a month to transport eight horses by air to Australia.”
Many horse owners are not waiting until the last race in October 2024 to move their horses out of Singapore to places such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Australia, he said. He added that the majority of trainers and jockeys are unlikely to be around for the final race.
“We will be faced with abandoned horses, as the good ones which are deemed fit for racing will be prioritised for relocation. Conservatively, we will be left with only around half the number of horses then.”
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