Singapore horses around in the Year of the Goat

While we were all still distracted by the recent Lunar New Year celebrations, Singapore got one step closer to being the Monte Carlo of Asia.  Titled the China Equine Cultural Festival Singapore Cup, the event makes no bones about their intended clientele: well-heeled, well-travelled and well-endowed billionaires hailing from the world's second-largest economy of the world.  Looking at the pictures of the event, it's surprising it didn't get much attention in Singapore's mainstream media.

Photo Credit: Yahoo News

Clearly, it's not about the horses. As  Jaipragas reports, the affluent Chinese want to be "known as owners of stallions, owners of internationally renowned stallions".  That, I suppose, was the main point.  For who among those 500 or so Chinese guests - who are minimally "chief executives and above" - would really have a genuine interest in the sport of horse-racing? 

This reminds me of the time I inadvertently found myself seated with a table of civil servants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while attending a wedding.  Amidst struggles to find a topic suitable for small talk, I stumbled upon the curious discovery that learnt that the F1 race in Singapore was a for some strange reason a major portfolio item for this ambitious young chap who works at the Vietnam 'Desk'.  I was always under the impression that the F1 race was a Singapore Tourism Board initiative, as portrayed by the mainstream media.  In all honesty, the only people I ever knew who'd ever attended the race were friends who got free tickets, given away by friends of friends of friends who were working for some company which was one of the sponsors for the race.  I've always wondered: Who on earth would pay $8000 per ticket to watch cars zip by?  

But of course, that painful wedding dinner small talk turned out to be much more educational than I expected.  Just like the ridiculously expensive F1 Race, the China Equine Cultural Festival Singapore Cup is, well, not about the Equines.   It's a highly elaborate marketing and tourist revenue-generating machine where political and economic bigwigs rub shoulders and broker future business deals.  From that perspective, this investment taxpayers in Singapore have so unwillingly invested into suddenly makes complete economic sense.

Photo Credit: Reuters, Asiaone

Interestingly though, unlike the Singapore Grand Prix F1 Night Race, the publicity for the horse race has so far been muted and it's not immediately clear how involved the Singapore government really is.  In contrast to the Singapore Grand Prix which seems to target a broad range of international globetrotters, the elite Horse Racing venture is positioned to attract a very select target group.  Check out how they've planned the test-bed this inaugural event!  

Yet, while all this makes sense from an economic and geopolitical point of view, I do think the issue is a lot more complex when domestic political, social and historical factors are considered.

Firstly, how will the local Chinese take to this ostentatious display of Mainland Chinese wealth?  As Tash Aw pointed out in her Lunar New Year reflection in the New York Times, there's already a growing tension arising from the "two-way xenophobia" between Mainland and Local Chinese.  How will local Singapore Chinese take to the success of a group of Chinese they've gotten so used to denigrating as culturally and economically inferior?  How will they respond to the ostentatious counter evidence staring them in the face?  To some extent, I suppose it's a good reality check for most Chinese in Singapore, though I doubt we are yet ready to stomach this incredibly humble pie.

Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resorts

Secondly, how will Singaporeans in general take to the government cozying up with Mainland Chinese wealth?  Admittedly, horse racing, which is one of the few  forms of gambling open to Singaporeans, and which is hugely popular with Local Chinese, will probably be more popular with Singaporeans than the F1 Race would ever be.  Yet, from a racial standpoint, will this provide more fodder for those already worried that Singapore's already becoming increasingly sinicised, possibly raising tensions between the different ethnic communities?  Lets also not forget that as secular as Singapore might seem to the world, religion still plays a very big role in the lives of ordinary Singaporeans.  Just recall the furore caused by religious groups over the government's plans to raise up two gambling-centred Integrated Resorts, which by the way caters primarily to rich wealthy Chinese foreigners.    

Can the Singapore government pull off this new venture while successfully navigating the rising anti-foreigner (particularly against Chinese Mainlanders) in Singapore?   How will the government, which has so far been rather silent about its involvement, pull it off without making it another PR disaster with Singaporeans?  No wonder the media silence over this major event.