Stephen Gray has been left devastated by news racing will cease in the country next year
Stephen Gray says he and his fellow trainers along with their owners have been left blindsided by the decision to shut down racing in 16 months’ time.
The Singapore Turf Club announced on Monday that racing will cease in the country after 180 years in October 2024.
The closure is Government led with the land on which the Turf Club exists deemed a valuable resource in land-scarce Singapore.
Gray said it was disappointing news for everyone.
“We feel like we’ve been led down the wrong path and misled that the place was kicking on,” Gray said.
“A lot of people had gone out and invested, old owners had come back on board, and that was proved at the sales last year.
“There had been a lot of investment, and reinvestment, but we’ve all been told, ‘that’s it, it’s over’.”
Gray said to be told racing would cease in Singapore in 16 months does not give trainers, jockeys, owners and staff time to plan for their futures.
“If they said five years, people have a chance to plan for their lives for the next few years,” Gray said.
“You can’t expect people to carry on in that time.
“I had three horses in quarantine, and they have been pulled off and there was a chance of another one coming up, but it’s not worth happening now.
“We thought racing was building up again with Dayle Brown being employed here.
“At the start of the year I was looking at maybe going home at the end of the year, but I was revitalised with what was happening, and I was looking forward to staying on.
“The features were brought back, we thought it was going to be really good again and that we’d stick it out as thing were starting pick up.”
Gray said Turf Club employees would be compensated when retrenched but he questioned who would compensate his stable staff.
And he also questioned how the horses would be cared for and who foots the bills once racing ceased.
“It’s sad. There’s a lot of good trainers here. A lot of young ones starting to get going,” Gray said.
“It’s just not right.”
