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Overview – The Racing Fixtures for the racing season 2023 (1 Apr 2023 to 31 Mar 2024) included a total of 20 feature races, double that for season 2022, as well as the reinstatement of four iconic race series. Punters were flocking to Kranji grandstand. Owners were back at the horse auctions in Australia and New Zealand. Things were looking up for Singapore Racing.
Then came the bombshell announcement by the Government on 5 June 2023 of STC’s closure come 5 Oct 2024, which has shocked the racing jurisdictions and industries globally. The reason given for shutting down our 182 years Singapore heritage sport facilities (costing an estimated $1 billion investment) was housing, including public housing, as well as leisure and recreation, as announced by 2nd Minister of Finance Indranee Rajah.
TOAST reacted to the announcement with a request for meeting the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and relevant authorities to appeal regarding the closure of STC. Our request was sent on 25 Jul 23, through STC President and Chief Executive (P&CE), to which the MOF replied to STC sometime in Aug 23 with a call for STC to engage first with TOAST to understand our needs. A Dialogue Meeting between STC and TOAST was eventually held on 12 Sep 23, during which TOAST presented a number of viable options and proposals, including a detailed site reduction plan to reduce from 124 hectares to 60 hectares. Since then TOAST has been appealing continually through STC, including an email of 24 Sep 23 to P&CE, calling for an urgent meeting with MOF and relevant authorities re STC’s Extension and Viable Options. At that time TOAST has been receiving growing support from non-TOAST owners to represent them.
TOAST President assured members at TOAST Annual General Meeting on 14 Nov 2023 that TOAST shall continue after STC’s closure, as its objectives include: To represent and promote the interests of racehorse owners locally and internationally (Rule 3.1). Indeed TOAST Trust horses have been racing and winning in Australia and Hong Kong.
TOAST has also advised STC on 21 Nov 23 that we find STC Circulars OT 20 & 22/2023 unacceptable especially Horse Expatriation Plan Award 20/11/2023 one-sided Agreement (Annexe B), in which we owners are to be responsible and ensure the proper and orderly expatriation of horses, timely execution etc. We have arranged a meeting with STC (in early 2024) to list our grounds for not accepting the terms and conditions of those two Circulars.
On 12 Dec 23, STC confirmed that “MOF do not wish to meet with you [TOAST] at this stage; however, if you [TOAST] wish to raise any issues for MOF to consider, please advise us in writing and STC will forward your issues to MOF.” It left TOAST with no option but to appeal directly to higher authorities (which eventualised in first quarter 2024), having received support from around 40% of owners by mid Dec 23.
Overall in 2023, TOAST Racing Trust has done well locally with a total of seven wins: Mesmerizing (7/1/2023), Mesmerizing (12/2/2023), Fame Star (23/4/2023), Silo (3/6/2023), Silo (9/12/2023), Seamlessly (30/12/2023) and Silo (30/12/2023).
30 Dec 2023 – Silo, ridden by Vlad Duric, gives a winning encore as the curtain was coming down on Singapore racing, for the year 2023. With the win (Class 4 $50,000 1200m), TOAST and trainer Stephen Crutchley ended the last race day of the year on a winning note - a double.
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Silo scores a hat-trick in the last race of year 2023 (photo: sgracingphoto)
30 Dec 2023 – Seamlessly breaks through to win the Open Maiden 1400m, after 9 starts with 2 seconds. He was trained by Stephen Crutchley and ridden by Vlad Duric.
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Seamlessly wins Open Maiden 1400m whilst his owners were holidaying (photo: sgracingphoto)
9 Dec 2023 – Silo wins Class 4 $50,000 (1200m), ridden by apprentice Jerlyn Seow. The courageous win by Silo and Jerlyn is a tribute for Adrian (Lelia’s beloved husband and Julia’s brother-in-law) who left us that morning in Japan.
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Silo’s courageous back-to-back win in a tribute for Adrian (photo: sgracingphoto)
3 June 2023 – Silo wins $75,000 Zac Spirit 2014 & 2015 Stakes Restricted Maiden (2 YO 1200m). Showing the benefit of experience from a first-run 3rd just three weeks ago, Silo won impressively in a full field of 14 two-year-olds, under the skilful ride of Brazilian jockey Bernado Pinheiro.
Silo is the poster boy of TOAST’s horse syndication among the young generation of horse owners, which promotes racing as Passion, Sport and Lifestyle.
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Silo wins impressively in a full field of fourteen 2YOs, supported by an entourage of mainly younger generation owners (photo: sgracingphoto)
23 Apr 2023 – Fame Star wins Super Easy 2011 Stakes Class 2 $85,000 (1600m). TOAST’s top sprinter, with nine wins over 1200m and one over 1400m (Group 2 EW Barker Trophy), led all the way to win on his first trip over the mile under the skilful riding of jockey Bernardo Pinheiro.
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Fame Star wins his first route with ease (photo: sgracingphoto)
12 Feb 2023 – Mesmerizing wins again in the $50,000 Class 4 (1600m poly) race, completing a winning double for Toast Trusts & Mesmerizing Stable and trainer Stephen Crutchley. Ridden by apprentice R Iskandar, Mesmerizing returned a good win-place dividends of $49-$16 to give a winning tierce of $5,386 and a forecast $445, both of which were won by TOAST co-owner Julia Ho with outlays of just $24 and $2 respectively.
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Fame Star wins his first route with ease (photo: sgracingphoto)
7 Jan 2023 – Mesmerizing of Toast Trusts & Mesmerizing Stable wins $50,000 Class 4 (1600m poly) race on the first race-day of the year. Ridden by apprentice Jerlyn Seow, Mesmerizing won first up after a break of 238 days to give trainer Stephen Crutchley his first win of the year.
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Mesmerizing opens winning account for TOAST on the first race-day of 2023 (photo: sgracingphoto)
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