SA Horseracing were recently lucky enough to speak to Lay Chin Khoo, a prominent owner in Singapore, whose involvement in racing stretches from owning a racing based restaurant to racing former US Gr1 winner Wild Dude!
How did you get involved with racing?
I started working at the Singapore Turf Club in 2004, joining the Racing department and was involved with horse ownership. Subsequently, I moved to the Business Development department and was in charge of the selling Singapore Racing to international markets like Australia, South Africa, Macau and Europe as well as importing international racing into the Singapore market for broadcast and wagering. I left STC in 2009 to help my husband, Eric Koh’s business ( Equine Sanctuary ) dealing in Horsecare services and importation of Equine products. We started purchasing horses and racing them in 2010 as we saw how horse ownership could offer real returns on investment , especially in Singapore.
Are you family interested in the sport?
My family per se are not into horseracing. Both my husband and myself would be the first amongst my family to be interested in it due to our vested interests. Our children love watching horse racing too at home.
What made you get involved with Syndicates?
We started Team Cheval not as a Syndicate. It was mainly just Eric and myself owning a few horses that he bought in Ireland. However, our friends started getting interested in sharing horses with us and soon, our newer horses included partnerships with many of our close friends.
How is the state of racing in Singapore in general?
Singapore Racing is still a world class product despite the falling turnover. I believe with the right direction at the top, the STC can make a turnaround and flourish further.
How much of a part do syndicates play in Singapore horse-racing?
Singapore and Asian owners still largely prefer owning horses on their own or at most with some close friends, rather than being involved in small percentages in the form of racehorse syndications. Hence to answer your question, syndicates would form a small part of Singapore racing, as compared to other racing jurisdictions like Australia and USA
What goals do you have in racing?
Hopefully we can win some Group races both in Singapore and internationally. We also do race horses in Ireland , South Korea, Dubai, China, Australia and the US, and it would be wonderful for us to one day have an International Group winner!
Do you have one big race you would like to win?
It has always been my dream to win the Singapore Gold Cup.
Tell me a little about(US Gr1 winning sprinter) Wild Dude.
How did you get involved with Wild Dude?
What are your plans for him?
It all happened when Eric was travelling with a good friend of his from China - Mr Zhang Yue Sheng, and they were in Korea for a 2YO auction in Jeju. They were chatting about the Korea Sprint Race and started discussing about buying a proven horse that could possibly participate in that race. With that, the quest for a good American sprinter started and with the help of Jane and Michael from BBA Ireland Wild Dude was bought.
After his less than desirable performance in Korea, due arguable to the heavy kickback, Wild Dude went for a campaign in Dubai during last this year's carnival and World Cup night. He's been based there since - being kept there to resume his career.
How are your restaurants involved with racing?
Team Cheval is named after our first restaurant “Cheval” at the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre. Since its opening in 2009, Cheval has always been the place where gather for meetups with our trainers, jockeys and other fellow horse owners.
What advice would you give people wishing to get involved with owning a racehorse?
Owning a racehorse involves a lot of patience. There will be many heartaches along the way, especially if your horse breaks down or gets into an accident. However, the feeling you get when your horse wins a race , that in itself is priceless.
What are the positives about being involved in syndicates?
You get to have a shot of owning and racing a horse, but at a lower cost. It’s also more fun to have friends sharing a horse and having a good day out at the races together.
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