“Everyone Was Sad”: After Prince Harry Shows Off His Equestrian Skills in Singapore, 180-Year-Old Prestigious Venue Closes Down

Singapore is known for its equestrian grounds and has been visited by royalties quite frequently. Recently, Prince Harry attended a polo charity match showing his equestrian skills at Singapore Polo Club. But, after the famed royal visit sad news came for the Singapore equestrian community. The Singapore Turf Club is the only racing track in the country which was established in 1842 during the colonial era.

But, the 181 years of long history of the track will end next year. After the 100th Singapore Gold Cup which will be held in October 2024, the race track will be closed. The government made the decision and informed the trainers in a meeting about it to which they were stunned. The trainer and other people associated with the racing had their reservations which they shared later.

Singapore’s only equestrian track set to close

On the 5th of June, a meeting was held between executives of the Singapore Turf Club and the trainers. During this meeting, the trainers were informed that the club would be closed down, and the land, which had been rented from the government, would be returned. This sudden announcement caught the trainers by surprise, as there had been no prior indication of such a decision. The Tote Board, the owner of the club and a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance, will shut down the club after next year’s October race. Following that, 700 horses will be gradually sent abroad until March 2026, and the land will subsequently be returned in March 2027.

Mahadi Taib, a 52-year-old trainer who was present at the meeting was astonished like others by the decision. His observation was that the decision on 181 years of glory was announced in fifteen minutes meeting. Speaking on it he further said, “Everyone was sad. We don’t know where our direction is“. The president of the horse racing trainers association in Singapore, Michael Clements said, “It came as a total surprise to us. There was no dialogue whatsoever between the government and the club“. Another horse trainer remarked that the decision could have been implemented in a better way by scaling down over a period of ten years.

Already constrained by land availability, the government intends to repurpose the land for housing or other high-demand projects. This decision will have a significant impact on the 350 employees of the Singapore Turf Club, as well as approximately 350 others who are associated with the two dozen trainers. The news has struck the equestrian community like a thunderbolt, especially after the renowned charity match attended by the Duke of Sussex.

Prince Harry displays equestrian skill at the polo match

The 38-year-old Prince Harry participated in the annual Sentebale Polo Cup at the Singapore Polo Club. The cup serves as the flagship fundraiser for the Duke of Sussex’s charitable foundation, which works to support children and young people in southern Africa affected by poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. This equestrian fundraising event first began in 2010 in Barbados and has since successfully raised $14 million to date.

Read More: Prince Harry’s £189 Shoes Shine During His Polo Match in Singapore

Prince Harry was joined by his friend and Sentebale ambassador Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras. Ignacio played for Singapore Polo Club Team and captained them. While Prince Harry played for Royal Salute Sentebale Team captained by Malcolm Borwick. Prince Harry showed his equestrian skill and scored goals for his team. The match ended in a tie with seven goals each.

The closure of the only historic equestrian club is indeed sad news for the equestrian community and the government should make arrangements to safeguard the future of employees directly or indirectly associated with the club.

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