Mansoor Gandhi is one of the racehorse owners who has made peace with his favourite sport being wiped off the face of Singapore in two weeks’ time.

The Singaporean businessman was among those who joined some of the early discussions with the Singapore Turf Club in a bid to overturn the Government’s decision to shut down horse racing on Oct 5.

That in itself felt utopian to the owner of the Al-Arabiya Stable, but an extension to the 18 months’ notice (since the June 5, 2023 announcement) sounded more realistic.

As months went by, the negotiations hit a deadlock, which was when he realised that even wresting another extra couple of seasons would be a waste of time.

Like the 500-odd owners registered in Singapore, Mansoor was mostly concerned about his horses’ future – where will they end up, how and at what cost?

There was some light at the end of the tunnel when various forms of assistance such as exportation, feed and bedding subsidies were extended.

The defrayal quantum of 90 per cent of export costs, capped at $12,000 per horse, was met with mixed reception, especially for owners who were keen for their horses to relocate to the more competitive Australian racing scene instead of taking the preferred Malaysian route.

With a spot on a Malaysian-bound float costing $500, Mansoor – who already races horses in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur-based trainer A.B. Abdullah – could have gone for that cheaper option.

Export to Australia would set an owner back by $26,000 per horse, which includes around $11,000 for the mandatory quarantine Down Under.

In other words, by using the $12,000 subsidy, an owner has to muster an additional $14,000 for the whole shipment – and that is even before they have walked into the yard of a Chris Waller or a Ciaron Maher.

Most baulked at the onerous cost, and decided that a road trip across the Causeway was cheaper than flying, but not Mansoor.

His string of six horses may not match the volume of powerhouse outfits like Lim’s Stable or Pacific Stable but, except for Shihab, a 35-point rater, Ghalib, Makin, Ejaz, Asif and Bakeel are all rated upwards of 70 points, with 23 wins and $1.3 million in stakes earnings among them.

After doing his homework and his sums, he thought that they deserved to have a crack at a more competitive jurisdiction.

“Apart from Shihab, who is going to Malaysia, I’m sending my other five horses to Australia to race in Adelaide,” he said.

“Four of them are from Australia, anyway. It’ll be like going back home.

“It’s not cheap, but Australian racing is going places, especially with the prize money. I did consider Dubai as well, but their racing period is too short.

“It was (ex-Kranji jockey and now retired) Barend Vorster who recommended me Aaron Bain. He’s watched their videos and replays, and said they should be competitive in Adelaide.”

Another perk of choosing South Australia over other states was to have a familiar pair of hands to his horses – Manoel Nunes.

The five-time Singapore champion jockey will continue his riding career in Adelaide after the last Kranji meeting on Oct 5.

“It’ll be like a continuation as Nunes knows those horses so well,” said Mansoor. “We will actually target Melbourne a lot. Adelaide will be more like the training set-up for breeze-ups.”

When asked how come the hardships of the last 18 months did not make him give up, Mansoor’s eyes still sparkled with the excitement of a child in a candy store.

“I’ve been investing in horses for a long time. The end of Singapore racing makes me sad, but it doesn’t spell the end of my racing passion,” he said.

“We tried to talk to the club and the Government, but you cannot make them go back on their decision. We were fighting a losing battle.

“The closure did hurt my pocket. I had to sell eight very good horses at a loss over in Australia. At least, with the subsidy, it’ll help me cut some of my losses.”

Before embarking on his Australian adventure, Mansoor is looking forward to one last special moment turning magical on Oct 5.

There will not be a dry eye at that farewell meeting, which is expected to bring in a crowd of 10,000, but Mansoor will hope to shed tears of joy, too.

Makin has won his ticket to the $1.38 million Group 1 Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) after narrowly winning a Class 1 (1,400m) race under Nunes on Sept 21.

“Makin will run in the Gold Cup. I just hope the handicap suits him,” said Mansoor.

manyan@sph.com.sg