Trainer Michael Clements has relinquished his trainer’s license and will exit Singapore racing after the final meeting of the month.
The Zimbabwe-born naturalised Singaporean is the first to exit after the announcement of Kranji’s closure, but could this serve as the catalyst for more to come?
In a statement, Clements said: “I have decided to close my racehorse training stable in Singapore and I hereby tender my resignation as President of ARTS (Association of Racehorse Trainers Singapore.”
Clements’ last day of racing and training will be on Saturday, September 30, 2023.
The 2020 champion trainer, who has plied his trade for 25 years at the Singapore Turf Club, further stated that he is “grateful for the success I have had during this time, derived from the opportunities that my owners and the STC have afforded me.
“I have supported the Singapore Turf Club (STC) as a Trainer for the last twenty- five years. I am grateful for the success I have had during this time, derived from the opportunities that my Owners and the STC have afforded me. Since the announcement of horse racing’s imminent closure, I have been disappointed by the way in which the STC has treated all participants in the industry, especially Trainers.”
With Clements’ departure imminent, just over 40 horses will require transfers to other trainers.
After last Saturday’s fixture, Clements has trained 814 Kranji winners. His championship-winning season of 61 winners included the $1 million Singapore Gold Cup with Falcon Racing No. 7 Stable’s Big Hearted, while he won many other features, including five Group 1s, seven Group 2s and 12 Group 3s.
What’s next for Clements remains unclear. “I am undecided as to what I will do going forward. I intend taking a few months’ break into the new year to consider my future”, his statement read.
