Trainers optimistic Singapore racing will resume in July
Trainers are set to be given the go-ahead to step up their horses’ work next week at Kranji Racecourse ahead of the likely return of Singapore racing from the start of July, in what has been a coronavirus-hit period that stakeholders hope is the catalyst for the revitalisation of the country’s industry.
Racing in Singapore has withered over the past decade, with declining wagering revenues impacting prize-money levels and the axing of feature races in the once vibrant Asian jurisdiction, with the Covid-19 pandemic the latest setback.
Racing at Kranji was initially suspended until May 4 after the Singapore Turf Club’s meeting on April 3, due to a spike in coronavirus infections. That suspension was subsequently extended until June 30 but trainers are expected to receive the green light to restart fast work.
“We’re a small island country, so the government is doing everything to get (coronavirus) under control and it is probably stricter than most,” leading trainer Stephen Gray said yesterday.
“They were doing a good job until they had an issue with all the workers in the dormitories which they are solving now and they are on top of that.
“It was announced (on Thursday) that they are going to open things up pretty strongly at the end of June, or even before, so I think for us personally we have just to wait until then and it is looking like racing will restart in July.
“We’ve been allowed to start galloping our horses again from next week, so I think we’re heading in that direction.”
Fellow Singapore trainer Michael Clements was “hopeful” the July racing return will come to fruition but admitted the government was yet to confirm that was the case.
“It’s still in play with all these government agencies who need to approve everything,” Clements said.
“From the beginning when they stopped racing, we’ve been able to keep the horses ticking over by giving them slow conditioning work and then two weeks ago we were able to start giving them 14 to 15-second furlongs, so we are hoping that we can step it up to normal next week and then hoping for trials in the middle of June and racing at the beginning of July.
“We’re 50 per cent there but we’re not over the line yet.”
The Singapore Turf Club has assisted owners by providing a S$1500 credit per horse against their training bills for April and May to help offset the cost during racing’s shutdown, while the government had also assisted in meeting employee costs.
Debbie Hawkins, the operations manager at the Singapore Association of Racehorse Trainers, said stable staffing levels had been maintained, with some Malaysians living on site for more than two months due to the closure of the border between the two countries.
“We do have Malaysian workers who have been amazing because the Malaysia border got locked down on March 17, so those poor guys have been here since then without seeing their families,” Hawkins said.
“The trainers have been great by setting up home for them at the stables and the government checks on them on a weekly basis, so it is very controlled and we are very grateful to the Malaysian staff.”
The feature Singapore Derby (Listed, 1800m), the Kranji Mile (Listed, 1600m) (restricted to Singapore horses only this year) and Lion City Cup (Listed, 1200m) are all set to be rescheduled in July after becoming casualties of the lockdown.
The Singapore Turf Club has made a number of changes in recent years to shore up the sport, and Gray believes the Covid-19 pandemic may help lead to a further overhaul and government recognition to help turnaround the industry’s fortunes.
“They’ve been going through the doldrums a bit and I think now hopefully management can get the government to change their mentality and thinking a bit and open it up a bit more. I hope it goes that way and then we can be a bit more positive about it,” said Gray, who has trained in Singapore for the past 20 years.
“They can change betting structures and opportunities a bit more because if it doesn’t, it might be a bit of a worry for the long-term situation and certainly in the short-term anyway.”
The spotlight has been placed on many racing industries around the world during the health crisis and Clements hopes Singapore decision makers also take note.
“I think the worldwide racing industry has been exposed with all that is happening,” he said.
“Certainly, all governments have had to take more of a focus on many industries in their country and racing being one of them. Obviously, we are hoping that the same ripple effect will happen here.”
The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of racing for this period could also hinder the amount of reinvestment in new horses over the next few months, particularly being sourced from Australia and New Zealand.
Clements trains for prominent owners including Thai businessman Krit Chittaseni’s Falcon Racing and King Power Stable, which is also managed by the large-scale Singapore racing investor.
Zimbabwean Clements, who works closely with New Zealand agent Bevan Smith, is a regular attendee of Australian and New Zealand yearling and two-year-old sales, while he has also ventured further afield, including to South America.
“Generally, the mood of owners putting their hands in their pockets again for new young stock is very subdued with the circumstances,” he said.
“However, I am sure once we get back racing again, it won’t take them long to get back into the swing of things. My last trip was to Argentina where I was fortunate enough to get a couple of yearlings before everything closed.
“Obviously, travel restrictions will play a part. I really like to be there to see the horses (at the sales). Hopefully things start to come back online towards the end of year.”
Gray indicated that he and his clients may look more closely at young horses emerging from barrier trials if travel restrictions remain in place, but he was also cognisant of the fact that his owners would want to see how Singapore racing responds after the current lockdown ends.
“I have a lot of young horses that my clients have bought, but they might miss the two-year-old series or the three-year-old series, so these owners who have invested a lot want to see what Singapore Turf Club is going to do for them and that all comes down to prize-money and the way they structure their racing from here on,” he said.
“If it’s not done properly and the owners and patrons aren’t going to get looked after, they won’t reinvest. They won’t stay in the game.
“Australia has proven in the past ten years that it is all about prize-money and looking after the owner.
“We have had a downturn over that time in Singapore, but it is still OK and it’s a lot better than New Zealand and it’s still probably a lot better than Australia for the class of horse that we have.”
But Gray warned if the regression continued, the appetite for owners to race horses in Singapore could further decline and threaten the viability of the local industry.
“I’ve got good owners, but I’ve noticed in the past two or three years the lack of interest and it’s been harder to syndicate and sell horses. It’s dropped off quite a bit,” he said.
“With the coronavirus, is that going to be worse? Probably yes because everyone has businesses and that is going to be the same for Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong – everywhere in the world.“
Hawkins, who represents the Singapore trainers, said the pandemic had demonstrated that the racing industry can adapt.
“I think it’s been a huge learning curve for everybody. You show a little bit of initiative when times get hard and by doing things differently and approaching it from a different aspect,” she said.
“You look at the Inglis sales and how successful they were and the broodmare sales and the online sales with Magic Millions. New Zealand Bloodstock have got the South Island Sale coming up online as well.”