Singapore Turf Club (1842 - 1988)

For the current Singapore Turf Club, see Singapore Turf Club.
Singapore Turf Club
IndustryHorse racing
Founded1842; 182 years ago (1842) in Singapore, Straits Settlements
Defunct1988 (1988)

The Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club to operate the Serangoon Road Race Course at Farrer Park Field.[1] It was the only horse-racing club in Singapore and is part of the Malayan Racing Association. The first race was held on 23 February 1843 with a prize money of $150.[2] The club closed in 1988 after the Singapore Totaliser Board (Tote Board) formed the Bukit Turf Club (BTC) to take over all racing activities.

History

The Singapore Sporting Club was founded on 4 October 1842 by Scottish merchant William Henry Macleod Read to operate the Serangoon Road Race Course at Farrer Park Field.[3]

The club held its first race, the inaugural Singapore Cup race, in February 1843 to marking the 24th anniversary of founding of modern singapore by Stamford Raffles.[3] It also accepted bets on horse racing and ran 4-Digits (4D) draws.[4]

In 1924, the club changed its name to the Singapore Turf Club and held the inaugural Singapore Gold Cup race.[3]

To expand the racecourse and racing activities, the club sold Serangoon Road Racecourse to the Singapore Improvement Trust for $1.5 million and bought 98 ha (980,000 square metres) of the Bukit Timah Rubber Estate at a cost of $850,000 to build the Bukit Timah Race Course.[3]

The Club moved to Bukit Timah on 15 April 1933 and was opened by the Governor of Singapore, Cecil Clementi.[5]

During the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, racing was stopped and banned by the Japanese.[6] After the war, the club reopened on 15 November 1947.[6]

Sunday racing was included from 1959 onwards.[6]

In 1960, the club opened to the public and they were allowed to attend the races.[6]

In 1981, the North Grandstand was built to accommodate the public.[6]

In 1987, the Ministry of Finance announced the formation of the Tote Board to control the income earned from the Club via horse racing betting and 4D draws.[4] In 1988, the Tote Board was formed and wanted the club to run horse racing and 4D operations on its behalf but was rejected by the club.[4][7] In response, the Tote Board formed the Bukit Turf Club (BTC) as an agent to operate both activities.[4] The Club appealed to the Tote Board to absorb the BTC's constitution and rules but retaining its original name and members.[8] It was rejected by the Tote Board.[8] The club's staff was re-employed by BTC and its assets, including its reserves, were taken over by the Tote Board.[8]

The Singapore Turf Club was deregistered.[9]

Major Races

The Singapore Derby is the oldest feature race in Singapore, staged on turf and now contested over 1,800m.

The Singapore Gold Cup is traditionally held at the end of November. Contested on turf, the domestic Group 1 handicap race is now run over a distance of 2,000m and is open to horses aged three and older.

On 20 February 1972, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, together with Prince Philip and Princess Anne, visited the Club for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup during her state visit to the Republic. The Cup race to commemorate her visit ran over 2,200m and offered a prizemoney of $35,000. A 26,000-strong crowd showed up to see the Royal Family.

The Lion City Cup was launched in 1974 and is widely considered as Singapore's premier domestic sprint race. It is the only Group 1 feature race on turf. The premier sprint race over 1,200m is open to horses aged three and older.

References

  1. ^ "It was founded by Scottish merchant". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  2. ^ "The first race meeting was held in early 1843". asianracing.org.
  3. ^ a b c d "Charting the history of Singapore Turf Club: From 1842 to the home stretch". The Straits Times. 6 June 2023. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Tan, Sai Siong (27 March 1988). "How the Turf Club gambled and lost". The Straits Times. p. 17. Retrieved 15 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. ^ "5,000 At Brilliant Turf Club Opening". The Straits Times. 16 April 1933. p. 9. Retrieved 19 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. ^ a b c d e "It started nearly 160 years ago ...". The New Paper. 23 July 1999. p. 73.
  7. ^ Morais, Walton (22 March 1988). "Tote Board registers club to take over horse racing and 4-D draws". Business Times. p. 20.
  8. ^ a b c Raj, Conrad (7 April 1988). "Turf Club fails in bid to keep name and membership". The Straits Times. p. 36. Retrieved 15 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ^ "Singapore Turf Club lives again from June 1". The Straits Times. 20 May 1994. p. 42. Retrieved 15 June 2023 – via NewspaperSG.