Singapore Turf Club

The Singapore Turf Club manages and operates the sport of professional horse racing at the Singapore Racecourse in Kranji. Through the support of the Tote Board, we also support a range of community and social initiatives that promote social cohesion, create value for the community and move us forward together.

The Singapore Turf Club has a rich and illustrious history that has witnessed many milestones over the past century.

One of our most recent key milestones was the opening of the 124-hectare Kranji site on 7 August 1999 following a five-year, $500 million construction project.

The track was designed using the latest turf innovations and technology. 41 lighting poles were installed around the course, allowing us to introduce night racing, making us the first club in the Malayan Racing Association to do so. The five-tier grandstand can accommodate 30,000 spectators, and facilities include a public food court, private boxes with dining and viewing facilities, and private dining areas. The stables feature a swimming pool, a running track, a veterinary hospital and over 1,000 stables, all for the horses.

October 4, 1842
The Singapore Turf Club was founded by Scottish businessman William Henry MacLeod Reid and a group of horse racing enthusiasts as the Singapore Athletic Club. The club was located in Farrer Park and its goal at the time was to encourage the importation and improvement of horses in the colony by offering monetary rewards to horses that won the race.

February 23-25, 1843
The first race was held by Sir Stamford Raffles to commemorate the 24th anniversary of Singapore's independence and was watched by more than 300 spectators. The prize money for the first Singapore Cup race was $150. The race day was declared a national holiday.

1880
The Singapore Derby is one of the oldest local specialties, first held in 1880 with a prize of $150. The 2400m race features ponies from China.

7 January 1896
The Straits Racing Club, now known as the Malayan Racing Club (MRA), is established to coordinate and regulate horse racing in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ipoh.

16 March 1911
The old racecourse played an important role in the start of aviation in Singapore. The first flight in Singapore, flown by Belgian pilot Joseph Christiaens, took off from the Farrer Road Racecourse, making aviation history.

1924
The Singapore Sports Club was renamed the Singapore Turf Club to better reflect the role of the club.

1933
To meet the growing interest in horse racing, the club sold Farrer Road Racecourse to the Singapore Development Trust for $1.5 million and purchased 98 hectares of Bukit Timah Rubber Estate for $850,000 as a new venue. More than $3 million would go into the construction of Bukit Timah Racecourse, which would later be considered the "finest racecourse in the East".

April 15, 1933
The then Governor of Singapore, Sir Cecil Clementi, opened Bukit Timah Racecourse in a grand ceremony attended by 5,000 members and guests.

February 20, 1972
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Princess Anne visited the club during their state visit to the Republic for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. A crowd of 26,000 came to see the royal. The Cup, held in honor of her arrival, offered a total purse of more than $2.2 billion and a $35,000 prize.

1981
Female Australian jockeys Irene Pateman and Paula Wagg made local racing history when they became the first two women to be granted local riding licenses.

1 January 1988
The government set up the Singapore Accumulators Board. The board appointed Bukit Turf Club as its agent to take over the Singapore Turf Club's horse racing and 4D business.

1 January 1989
Singapore was put on the world horse racing map when Colonial Chief won the second Hong Kong Invitational Cup at the international horse racing event Shatin. Colonial Chief was also the first horse to win prize money of more than US$1 million.

7 October 1990
Chairman Wee Kim Wee and the First Lady then made their first official visit to the club as guests of honour at the Singapore Gold Cup, which coincided with the nation's 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Singapore Pools donated US$500,000 to the 25th Anniversary Charity Fund.

11 August 1991
The club launches the $250,000 Raffles Cup, named after Sir Stamford Raffles. "Tuneful Melody" makes racing history as the first locally bred horse to win a major race.

1 June 1994
The Bukit Turf Club was appointed in 1988 to take over the horse racing and 4D operations of the Singapore Turf Club following its dissolution, and was renamed the Singapore Turf Club again to enhance Singapore's position on the world horse racing map and pave the way for the club's future development. It was to be relocated to Kranji.

22 August 1995
Legendary rock singer-songwriter Rod Stewart's first concert in Singapore was held at the Singapore Turf Club. This was the club's first concert at a racecourse, with Rod Stewart performing to a crowd of 8,000.

18 July 1999
Singapore Turf Club held the Heartstrings Charity Cup, raising $630,000 for the Community Chest. The Club received then Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Mr Yeoh Siew Tong, and his wife, Ms Helen Yeoh, as guests of honour.

7 August 1999
After five years of construction, the $500 million, 124-hectare, state-of-the-art Kranji Racecourse opened.

The track was designed with the latest turf innovations and technology. 41 lighting poles were installed around the course, enabling the club to introduce night racing, the first in the Malayan Racing Association to do so.

The five-storey grandstand can accommodate 30,000 spectators, and facilities include a public food court, private boxes with dining and viewing facilities, and private dining areas for racing gold card members.

The stables feature air-conditioned rooms, a swimming pool, exercise track and veterinary hospital, as well as more than 1,000 stables.

25 September 1999
The first live race held at Kranji Racecourse was headlined by the $350,000 Singapore Cup, held to commemorate Singapore's first race held at Farrer Park Racecourse in 1843.

4 March 2000
Then-President Nathan officiated at the opening of Kranji Racecourse, and 30,000 spectators witnessed the inaugural running of the $3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup. The Cup is Singapore's largest horse racing event and the seventh richest in the world. The race attracted top horses and jockeys from France, Hong Kong, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

12 March 2001
The first $1 million Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Sprint was held at the Singapore Turf Club. Together with the $3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup, they became the crown jewels of the local racing calendar. The biggest racing extravaganza of the year was broadcast worldwide to an estimated 1.9 billion viewers.

11 June 2001
The $3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup was awarded Group 1 status, the highest recognition given to thoroughbred racing by the London International Committee for Standards of Stocktaking.

9 November 2003
The inaugural Singapore Turf Club Charity Race Day raised $1.15 million for the Community Chest. The club also donated $1 million to 21 other charities along with Singapore Pools. The event was attended by then-President Mr Nathan.

18 March 2006
After 34 years, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made their second visit to the Singapore Turf Club to grace the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, named after her. To mark the occasion, the club increased the prize money for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup from $250,000 to $350,000.

1 April 2006
The club injects $11 million to boost local horse racing. The Patron's Bowl and Kranji Mile are upgraded to Group 1 events, bringing the total number of Group 1 races held by the club to seven. Three new special events are added - the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint, Singapore Four-Year-Old Sprint and Singapore Four-Year-Old Mile.

29 October 2006
The Group 1 Raffles Cup is hosted by Panasonic Systems Asia Pacific for the first time.

2009 November
The Singapore Turf Club Equestrian Centre opens with the aim of making horse riding accessible to the public. It remains the only equestrian centre with its own equestrian facilities. The centre specialises in hosting an annual race day to raise funds for the Singapore Para-Equestrian Association, which focuses on promoting interaction with horses and providing therapy for children and adults with disabilities.

24 June 2010
The Singapore Turf Club Equestrian Centre is opened by then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean.

18 August 2010
The Singapore Turf Club Equestrian Centre hosted the 2010 Youth Olympic Games equestrian show jumping events.

26 March 2011
Singapore was once again on the world map when the local equestrian celebrity, Rocket Man, became the first and only local horse to win the international Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

27 April 2013
The club broke the record for the largest cupcake tower in the Singapore Book of Records. All 2,888 cupcakes were sold for charity, with proceeds going to the club’s recognised charity, THK EIPIC @ Woodlands.

6 September 2013
Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira made Singapore-Malaysia racing history by riding eight winning horses to eight wins at Kranji Racecourse. The epic performance was recognised by the Singapore Book of Records as the “Most Consecutive Winning Rides by a Jockey in a Single Race”.

8 November 2014
The KF1 Kart Track, Singapore’s first permanent international-standard karting facility, opened at the Club at a cost of US$2 million. It features the world’s only 960m two-way track designed by world-renowned Formula One track architect Herman Tilke. The track is ready to host international karting competitions.

4-5 August 2018
The Club hosted the first GetActive! Singapore event in partnership with Tote Board and SG Sports. To promote a healthy lifestyle for Singaporeans, various sports trials and activities were held for the public, including augmented reality and traditional games. The Club also hosted ActiveSG’s Singapore Cycling Challenge, the first such event to be held on a safe track within the circuit.

7 January 2019
Singapore Pools took over all horse racing betting operations from the Singapore Turf Club, leaving the Club to focus solely on horse racing.

April 2019
The first Taiwanese Night Market opened in Singapore to an overwhelming response at The Grounds @ Kranji. Over two exciting weekends (19-21 April and 26-28 April), Shilin Night Market Singapore presented a feast of Taiwanese street food, fun and games to the Club’s 500,000-strong crowd.

25-26 July 2019
The Club organised its first book and toy donation drive for children and young people, receiving around 2,000 items. Along with the books and toys, the Club donated $30,000 to the beneficiary, Beyond Social Services.

3 August 2019
The Club once again hosted its annual GetActive! Singapore. The event featured sports activities and traditional games and was attended by then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Education, Ms Indranee Rajah. More than 200 beneficiaries from Beyond Social Services, CARE Singapore, Deaf Sports Association, Down Syndrome Association, NTUC Health Active Aging and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities attended the event. It was also an opportunity to celebrate Singapore’s 54th birthday.

November 2019
The third and largest Artbox Singapore fair opened at The Grounds @ Kranji, welcoming more than 450,000 visitors over two weekends (15 to 17 November and 22 to 24 November). The club hosted the “Lucky Hydro Dip Horseshoe” stall at Artbox Singapore to raise funds for charity. A total of $15,000 raised from the sale of customised horseshoe souvenirs was donated to the Singapore Children’s Society.

21 December 2019
More than 60 children with special needs got the rare opportunity to ride on the service track at the Singapore Turf Club Racecourse. Organised by Ageless Bicyclists, the event allowed children and their families to experience cycling in a safe and supportive environment.

January 2020
In response to COVID-19, the Singapore Turf Club limited the number of visitors on race day and ensured safe distancing measures were in place.

27 March 2020
Due to the escalating COVID-19 situation, the Singapore Turf Club held its first race behind closed doors. Simulcast race screenings were also halted.

April 2020

4
The Club has suspended all racing due to COVID-19.

11 May 2020
The Club announced that parts of the Singapore Racecourse and Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre (STCRC) will be temporarily converted into community rehabilitation facilities for foreign workers recovering from COVID-19. The STCRC's multi-storey carpark, part of Carpark B and the sheltered field will accommodate about 3,600 recovering foreign workers. This is a show of solidarity among the Club in the fight against COVID-19.

11 July 2020
The Club received approval from the Government to resume racing behind closed doors. Strict protocols and safe management measures are in place to ensure that racing behind closed doors resumes safely and efficiently.

24 April 2021
Siu Ka Lin, the Club's only current female apprentice jockey, won her first race just four months after her debut. She rode Axel to her 71st win in a Grade 3 Polytrack race over 1,600m.

June 2021
Singapore Turf Club (STC) is proud to be awarded the Ministry of Finance Family Award (a Public Service Award category) for its efforts in supporting the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With close collaboration with the Tote Board, the Ministry of National Development and other government agencies, STC's multi-storey carpark and the riding arena at the STC Equestrian Centre were transformed into temporary accommodation for migrant workers.

9 October 2021
The club hosted its first wedding since its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The happy couple celebrated their union surrounded by lush greenery and with unique views of the world-class racetrack.

14 November 2021
Daniel Meagher-trained Lim's Lightning became the most-watched horse at Kranji after winning the $1 million Singapore Gold Cup, Lion City Cup and Raffles Cup.

23 November 2021
In support of CAForGood's initiative to donate unused SingapoRediscovers vouchers to Singaporeans, the Singapore Turf Club Equestrian Centre hosted beneficiaries from the North Mosque Cluster and The Boy's Brigade. Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Dr Koh Poh Koon was the Guest of Honour.

December 2021
In support of community engagement through the arts, the Club collaborated with Yew Tee Arts and Cultural Club to upcycle and breathe new artistic life into its used horseshoes. About 200 used horseshoes were cleaned by a team of farriers for a series of themed art workshops from 10 to 19 December.

16 December 2021
Singapore Turf Club (STC) has launched its new corporate website, which consolidates the STC and STC Equestrian Centre websites and provides a gateway to its Horse Racing Portal. Visitors can enjoy a user-friendly, fully functional and mobile-optimised experience.

12 February 2022
The club hosted its first community event since closing to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 200 participants enjoyed performances by local celebrities at the 2022 Limbang Chinese New Year Celebration.

30 April 2022
After nearly two years of racing behind closed doors, the Singapore Turf Club welcomed spectators back to live horse racing.

21 May 2022
The $1 million Kranji Mile, the first feature race since the race reopened to spectators, is now back in full force at the Singapore Turf Club for its 22nd edition.

26 June 2022
The club partnered with Limbang to host the inaugural Green Limbang event. More than 200 Limbang residents learned about sustainability and environmental protection concepts through interactive workshops and educational missions. They also experienced turning used horseshoes into works of art through hydro-soaking.

13 August 2022
On the occasion of National Day, the Club held the first AimY Family Sports Carnival in partnership with All Hearts and Runninghour to promote inclusion for People with Special Needs (PwSN). The event was attended by over 200 PwSN and their families and officiated by Ms Hany Soh, MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC (Woodgrove).

26 November 2022
The first large-scale free youth music festival in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, MYBeats Festival, was held at the Club. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower, Mr Zaki Mohamad, Mayor of North West, Mr Simon Yam and Ms Hany Soh, MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC (Woodgrove).

3 December 2022
Singapore Turf Club (STC) hosted its annual Running for Inclusion Event (RFI) for the first time, promoting inclusion of people with special needs through sports. To celebrate STC’s 180th anniversary, the Club donated $32,400 to Runninghour, its corporate partner and organiser of the RFI. President Halimah Yacob was the Guest of Honour.

26 February 2023
Singapore Turf Club welcomed 350 residents from Gombak constituency for a brisk walk around our world-class racecourse.

5 May 2023
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Club hosted more than 200 Zumba enthusiasts and their families for the annual Woodgrove Women’s Sport and Family event organised by the Woodgrove-Fuchun Women’s Executive Committee. Ms Hany Soh, MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC (Woodgrove), was the Guest of Honour.

14 May 2023
To celebrate 180 years of horse racing, sports and entertainment, the Singapore Turf Club has partnered with the Singapore Heritage Festival 2023 to offer an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the world of horse racing. The first of its kind tour has received an enthusiastic response.

22 May 2023
The Singapore Turf Club has been awarded the Plague Recognition Award in recognition of the club’s contribution to the Labour Movement’s mission to improve wages, benefits and job prospects for employees.

5 June 2023
The government has announced that approximately 120 hectares of land in Kranji, where the Singapore Racecourse is located, will be returned to the Singapore government for redevelopment in 2027. The Singapore Turf Club will close its facilities in March 2027. The last race will be held on 5 October 2024, when the 100th Singapore Gold Cup will be held.

16 July 2023
The Runninghour Experience Tandem event is a tandem experience bike ride for people with special needs.

29 July 2023
Singapore Turf Club hosted the Woodgrove Community Sports Network's Jamboree K-Kardio session. Under the guidance of K-Kardio coach Toby Jiang, participants danced to upbeat Korean pop music to burn calories.

2 September 2023
The annual Run for Inclusion, organised by Runninghour to support People with Special Needs (PwSN), was held at Singapore Turf Club for the second time. The club set a record for the largest turnout for the event, with 330 staff members, their families and friends participating. Minister for Education Mr Chan Chun Sing attended as the guest of honour.

28 November 2023
Singapore Turf Club's first children's book about horses, A-Neigh-Zing Facts About Horses, is published.

30 December 2023
Singapore Turf Club crowns first female champion apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow.

2 February 2024
To mark the Year of the Dragon, Baremetalco founder and metalworker Matthias Yong redesigned 338 horseshoes once worn by Singapore Turf Club racehorses into a majestic dragon sculpture measuring 3.6m in diameter and 2.9m in height. It now stands proudly in the club’s main lobby.