10,000 racegoers expected at Turf Club farewell race
Horse racing enthusiasts at the Singapore Turf Club (STC) for the Grand Singapore Gold Cup on Oct 5 can expect a trip down memory lane as the club will be honouring the nation’s 182-year racing heritage before shutting its doors.
About 10,000 guests, racegoers and members of the public are expected for the event, which will have Speaker of Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng, as its guest of honour.
All the free admission tickets to the Grandstand Level 1 at Kranji have been snapped up, and a limited number of free Grandstand Level 1 tickets are still available for on-site redemption at upcoming race days on Sept 21, 28 and Oct 5.
The STC said in a press statement on Sept 17 that the Grand Singapore Gold Cup will feature “an elevated race programme” with 10 races and activities to commemorate Singapore’s racing heritage and journey.
The third race of the day, the Singapore Turf Club Trophy, was named by its employees in a vote and will be dedicated to them to “honour their resilience, spirit of innovation, unity in purpose and quest for excellence”, said the statement.
R Jayaraju, STC’s head of tracks and a veteran employee of more than two decades, said: “As employees, we are honoured to have the privilege to collectively choose the name for this race. It is something that is very meaningful for us.
“With all 10 races running on turf track for the day, robust track maintenance to ensure that the track continues to be at its peak condition, would be critical for the safety of jockeys and the horses.”
An exhibition will also be held to showcase the winning entries of STC’s photo competition from members of the public and its employees. Over 200 entries were received across the three categories – architecture, flora and fauna, and racing – from participants who took part in eight photo walks conducted by the club between May and June.
Racegoers can also look out for the specially curated Heritage Walk chronicling the Singapore Gold Cup’s evolution. Panels will also highlight other milestones and achievements, including feature races such as the Kranji Mile, Singapore Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
The Singapore Gold Cup will be the last race of the Oct 5 programme and its prize money has been increased from $1 million to $1.38 million. STC is also putting in more money across the other nine races – the purse for the Class 2 event has doubled from $85,000 to $170,000, for example – and for the previous race day on Sept 28.
Fans are expected to turn out for the last race meeting in STC, with the club to close by March 2027 to make way for housing and other development.
On June 5, 2023, news of its impending closure and the end of horse racing in Singapore was met with shock and sadness by the community.
The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development said in a joint statement then that local horse racing had experienced declining spectatorship over the years, and that the decision to redevelop the Kranji site would allow for the land and its surroundings to be holistically master planned to better meet future land-use needs.
Visit turfclub.com.sg for more details
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