When it comes to Singapore, you might associate it with an Asian country where wealth is condensed into a small property. I have been fortunate to visit the country several times, and each time I visit there, I am struck by the country’s unique blend of wealth and culture. I often find myself wondering how a country with a much smaller population has thrived to the level that it is regarded as one of the richest countries in the world.
Singapore’s horse racecourse, located in the northern part of the country just south of Johor Bahru in Malaysia, is a testament to convenience. The racecourse is easily accessible, with the gate just a stone’s throw away from the Kranji train station. For an added adventure, you can even cross the border between Singapore and Malaysia by taking a bus at the station, a mere 30-minute ride over the straits of Johor.
What attracted me most in the racecourse when I first visited in 2011 was the cutting-edge technology used in the graphics on the large vision showing the positions of each horse. The three-dimensional animation, a revolutionary feature at the time, showed exactly where each horse was in a herd of horses. It was greatly helpful, especially when horses were invisible from the stands while they were on the stretch on the far side of the stands.
While this technology may no longer be cutting-edge, it was Singapore’s horse racing industry that was at the forefront of its adoption. The graphics, now common and familiar in other racecourses, were first embraced here, marking Singapore as a pioneer in incorporating technology into its horse races.
My first visit in 2011 also impressed me because some passengers in train cars were using tablets that were much larger and heavier than the current models. I had never seen people using a tablet on trains in Japan then. This experience and the three-dimensional animation in the racecourse convinced me that Singaporeans are pretty good at incorporating brand-new technologies into their daily lives, which characterizes their nationality.
* The horse racing course in Singapore was closed on October 5, 2024. The property is supposed to be returned to the Singaporean government. The government reportedly plans to transform the land into residential areas to tackle future issues related to the increase in its population.
This picture was taken in July 2018. It shows that the three-dimensional animation was modified to the views from straight above.