While a large number of punters were there to lay bets, others such as chief executive officer Marcel Wismer turned up to support a horse trainer friend.
“My friend has been doing this his entire life and he says it’s very devastating for him. He said in January he went with his investor to buy horses in Australia and bring them back here and they don’t know what to do,” the 55-year-old said.
He remembered the excitement of his first visit to Singapore Turf Club eight years ago.
“It was packed. In fact, there were so many people and you could feel the energy and the atmosphere was bursting with energy and everybody was excited.
“I remember seeing a lot of westerners dressing well in suits in the hot weather and it was like, wow you know, you have a good feeling to come here,” he recalled.
He contrasted that trip to Sunday’s visit, where the walkway towards Singapore Turf Club’s entrance from the car park was “empty” and “deserted”.
“I think it will be a pity if Singapore didn’t have this anymore … I enjoy the atmosphere. I am from overseas and overseas, you wear fancy hats, you dress up well. I find that the whole enjoyment of participating in these events … I find that very nice. It’s a pity to see this go,” he added.
Among the 350 employees affected by Turf Club’s closure is track supervisor Rosly Anis, who worked his way up since joining as a driver in 2000.
Mr Rosly, 55, said he was stunned upon hearing the news last week. The veteran is in charge of maintaining the racing tracks and has never considered a job elsewhere.
“I feel sad of course. We’ve been working here for so long, (I have) a lot of memories. I don’t know what to do next,” Mr Rosly said.
Asked what he would miss the most, he said: “Horses. Although I don’t deal with horses, every morning we see horses run.”