Press Release

SINGAPORE TURF CLUB TO PRESENT GRAND SINGAPORE GOLD CUP: HONOURING THE NATION’S RACING HERITAGE OVER 180 YEARS

 

  • Ahead of the Grand Singapore Gold Cup on 5 October 2024, the Club unveils an elevated race programming, the launch of Photo Exhibition, extended Heritage Walk and Documentary Series.
  • In appreciation of racegoers, STC is offering free admission to the Grandstand Level 1 for the Grand Singapore Gold Cup race meeting. 

 

Singapore Turf Club (“STC”) is proud to present the culmination of its homestretch celebrations, the Grand Singapore Gold Cup (“SGC”), on 5 October 2024. As the home of Singapore's horse racing heritage since 1842, STC will honour over 180 years of racing excellence.

 

Speaker of Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng, will be the Guest of Honour at Grand SGC race meeting and will present prizes to the winning connections of the Grand SGC. As a gesture of appreciation to racegoers, STC is offering free admission to the Grandstand Level 1 for the Grand SGC race meeting.

 

Due to overwhelming demand, online redemption for Grandstand Level 1 tickets is now closed. A limited number of free Grandstand Level 1 tickets are still available for on-site redemption at the upcoming race days: 21 and 28 September, and 5 October, while tickets last. Doors open at 10am and the programme for 5 October will start at 11am.

 

Elevated Race Programming

 

The Grand SGC will feature an elevated race programme, with 10 races commemorating 182 years of heritage (refer to Appendix for the list of races and prize presenters). The day's activities will bring to life STC’s journey through time, from 1842 to 2024. Racegoers may look forward to a series of pre-race video montages depicting STC’s evolution and key milestones throughout the years. About 10,000 hosted guests, regular racegoers and members of the public are expected to attend Grand SGC.

 

Special Race Named Through Employee Vote

 

As part of the celebrations, STC employees were asked to vote for a name for the third race of the day. They chose, “Singapore Turf Club Trophy”. The race, dedicated to all STC employees, aims to honour their resilience, spirit of innovation, unity in purpose and quest for excellence. It also aims to celebrate STC’s rich heritage, taking everyone to 1924 when Singapore Sporting Club changed its name to STC, to better represent the Club’s role. It was also the year when the first SGC was held, exactly one hundred years ago.

 

R Jayaraju, Head of Tracks at STC 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. My team and I are particularly excited that our tractor will be driving out the ceremonial stage onto the turf track for the first time, to facilitate the Grand SGC prize presentation and closing ceremony."

 

Jacquelyn Oh, Head of Commercial and Operations at STC, said, “The Grand SGC race meeting will be an opportunity for racegoers to celebrate STC’s rich heritage, with a race fixture that will take attendees on a journey through time. My team and I have also been curating a special F&B menu for the day, that honours our heritage. With 10,000 people expected to be onsite, managing the F&B operations would be challenging and it will be all hands-on deck to provide a memorable and historic afternoon for all racegoers.”

 

Capturing Our Beauty Photo Exhibition and Grand SGC Heritage Walk

 

Alongside the races, there will also be a photo exhibition showcasing the winning entries of STC’s “Capturing Our Beauty” photo competition as well as a similar competition specially held among STC employees named, “Capturing our Beauty – Employee Edition”. The exhibition featuring 18 stunning images across three categories: Architecture, Flora and Fauna, and Racing will happen at the taxi/drop-off point. Over 200 entries were received for the competition, primarily from members of the public who took part in the eights photo walks conducted by STC between May and June this year. Each photo walk, led by esteemed influencer-photographers Lee Aik Soon or Lee Yik Keat, offered different experiences around the three themes and enabled participants to learn about the Club’s heritage.

 

Racegoers can also look forward to a specially curated “Heritage Walk” that will chronicle the Grand SGC's evolution through informational panels, highlighting significant milestones and achievements in English and Chinese. It will include information on historically significant feature races – Kranji Mile, Singapore Derby, and Queen Elizabeth II Cup, before spotlighting the Grand SGC. The exhibit will be situated along the walkway from STC’s multi-storey carpark to the taxi/drop-off point.

 

Tan Ren Keat, Assistant Manager of Corporate Marketing at Singapore Turf Club who was instrumental in organising the photo exhibition said, “The photo walks that led to this exhibition were a great way to expose more members of the community to the beauty of our site and our sport. Photography has always had a significant role in horse racing, and these activities helped marry two passions elegantly, offering a fitting celebration for our multifaceted institution.”

 

For more information, visit the following pages

 

 

Appendix – Grand Singapore Gold Cup: List of Races & Prize Presenters

 

 

RACE NAME​

YEAR​

PRIZE PRESENTER

Race 1​

William Henry Macleod Read Cup​

1842​

British High Commissioner, 

Nikesh Mehta​ OBE

Race 2​

Colonel Cup​

1843​

Winning Sculptor for STC 1999 Open Art Competition,

Ong Kok Peng

Race 3​

Singapore Turf Club Trophy​

1924​

STC President and Chief Executive, Irene MK Lim

Race 4​

Yong Thau Yin Cup​

1948​

Great Grandsons of

Yong Thau Yin, Vernon Yong​ and Andrew Yong 

Race 5​

Abdul Mawi Cup​

1958​

Tote Board Chief Executive,

Tan Choon Shian

Race 6​

Magdalene Tan Cup​

1994​

First Local Female Jockey, Magdalene Tan​

Race 7​

Red Numbers Cup​

1999​

Creator of 'Red Numbers', Vincent Leow​

Race 8​

S.R. Nathan Cup​

2000​

 Singapore Pools Chairman, Kaikhushru S. Nargolwala

Race 9​

Rocket Man Cup​

2011​

Tote Board Chairman,

Mildred Tan​

Race 10​

Grand Singapore Gold Cup​

2024​

Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore,

Seah Kian Peng

 

 

Appendix – Photos from the Grand Singapore Gold Cup over the years 

 

 

Farrer Park Starting Post in the 1920s.  

 

Source: Winning Post, 4th Quarter 1991 issue, pg 7.

 

 

Aerial view of the Bukit Timah racetrack, pictured June 1970.  

 

Source: Singapore Turf Club Archives

 

 

Crowds arrive at the entrance of STC, pictured 1999.  

 

Source: National Archives of Singapore

About Singapore Turf Club

 

Founded in 1842, Singapore Turf Club (STC) is Singapore’s only horse racing club. A destination that has consistently been reinventing experiences and bringing fun and excitement to the communities, STC’s sprawling 124-hectare Kranji grounds features world-class horse-racing tracks and a splendid Grandstand. It can support both large-scale and intimate sporting competitions and lifestyle events.

 

A proprietary club of the Tote Board, STC’s focus is on cultivating horse racing as a prestige sport and creating a first-class horse-racing community in Singapore with integrity and professionalism. STC is also a learning hub for specialised equestrian skills and a provider of impeccable stabling, horse training and horse-event support. For more information about STC, please visit www.turfclub.com.sg.

 

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