Say hello to world racing
As S’pore era closes, fans can still enjoy lots of thoroughbred action with press of button
The Singapore Turf Club may be seeing out its final months of action, but racing aficionados will not be deprived of equine action elsewhere – even after the sound of hooves thundering around Kranji is last heard on Oct 5, 2024.
At the June 5 press conference, when that date was pencilled in as the end of Singapore horse racing, Tote Board chief executive Fong Yong Kian also said that Singapore Pools will still allow betting on overseas races.
Thanks to Singapore Pools, punters have long enjoyed a variety of products that are available from thoroughbred racing jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Australia, South Korea, Japan, France, England and Malaysia.
Take, for instance, the Durban July 2,200m South African classic won by Winchester Mansion last Saturday. The victory gave up-and-coming jockey Kabelo Matsunyane his first Grade One win and trainer Brett Crawford a first triumph in Africa’s greatest race.
Likewise, it is well known that the twice weekly broadcasts from Happy Valley and Sha Tin racecourses in Hong Kong are very popular with local racing fans.
Zac Purton, Vincent Ho, John Size and Frankie Lor are household names which roll off racing fans’ tongues effortlessly.
Besides the familiarity of a racing product with a similar business model to Kranji’s, Hong Kong racing also appeals for its comprehensive media coverage and abundance of in-depth racing data.
Guided by an established team of presenters and seasoned race-callers, with crystal clear visuals of every horse on parade, the pre-race analyses provide a useful guide to picking winners.
Singapore Pools has to be lauded for bringing such world-class action to racing fans’ mobile phones or TV screens.
Obviously, it is a challenge to standardise broadcast content across different jurisdictions given the difference in TV and studio crews, technology and resources.
But, in general, the quality from Australia – they even give a comprehensive preview on eve of race day – England, and even South Korea, has kept up with the pace set by Hong Kong, even if there could be room for improvement.
If there is one who is trailing the pack, it is maybe French racing. The main beef is that they show only visuals of horses on parade and making their way to the starting stalls, but with the sound off – there is no pre-race form analysis.
This lowers the chances of picking winners for anyone, even if some may take the easy way out by following the smart money or root for a funny name.
Camera angles are crucial when horses are parading behind the barriers – sometimes, the lens is focused on the front of the loading stalls, which blocks the view of horses parading behind.
This is just one area where Singapore Pools can do more to enhance its customers’ enjoyment of overseas racing action – and ultimately, fans’ romance with the turf.
These fans should be grateful racing had not been “killed off” completely, because they can still partake in their favourite sport at off-course betting centres or from the comfort of their sofa at home.
While the Kranji starter will not be pressing the button that sends horses on their way after Oct 5, 2024, Singapore racing fans can still push their TV remote control button to send them on their way to uninterrupted equine action from Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East, too.
At the end of the day, more smiling faces after each race means healthier betting turnovers.
Losing Singapore racing should not equate to losing world racing – or the joy and privilege of watching and enjoying a sport loved the world over.
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