Kranji racecourse to make way for housing, other developments

Turf Club will shut facility by March 2027, ending over 180 years of horse racing here

- Goh Yan Han

The land where the Singapore Turf Club (STC) in Kranji sits will be returned to the Government by March 2027, making way for housing and other developments in the area.

These include previously announced plans to redevelop the area around Woodlands Checkpoint, enhance Woodlands Town under the Remaking Our Heartland programme, and transform the Lim Chu Kang area into a high-tech agrifood cluster.

The closure also means the end of over 180 years of horse racing in Singapore, which has seen dwindling spectatorship over the years.

"This was not an easy decision but necessary... There have been increasing needs and demands for land, and the Government regularly reviews our land use plans, because we want to ensure that resources are optimised to meet Singapo reans' needs," said Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah at a press conference held at the Ministry of Communications and Information on Monday.

She added: "We plan not just for this generation, but for the next." The area, covering around 120ha of land, is the size of about 200 football fields and is larger than the whole of Gardens by the Bay, which spans 101ha.

STC, which employs about 350 people, will run its last race, the 100th Grand Singapore Gold Cup, on Oct, 5, 2024, before it shuts its facility by March 2027.