I was surprised and yet not shocked by the decision to shut down the Singapore Turf Club. Urbanisation has crept up once again to kill a sport seen largely as a luxury we cannot afford. By Oct 5, 2024, the last race would have been run – and we will wave goodbye sadly to an activity which has been around on this island since 1842. We are unsentimental to the point of unfeeling. We have bulldozed the National Theatre.
He was staying in the main family house in Geylang. He then moved out to Opera Estate. In those days, only Rediffusion – a cable broadcasting service – was allowed to carry live commentaries on racing. It had not reached the then outlying ulu estate. So every Saturday and Sunday, my uncle had to come to my house to catch the broadcasts. He was a moderate bettor, mostly with bookies.
I remember jockeys like Merv Posner, Teddy Larkin, Garnet Bougoure, J Johnson , and Martin Sng. Posner, an Australian jockey, was a prolific rider. He would bring in sometimes four or five winners a day. Bougoure was a successful rider but went on to become a good trainer. In honour of the horses which have given racing enthusiasts such great excitement, I will offer a small list of the unusual ones.The tote board would usually show $110 for a $5 bet. But when the sky darkened, the clouds burst, and the heavens cried, some punters who had taken a risk and betted on either horse earlier on at high odds would be laughing all the way to the bank.