Singapore Horse Racing

Singapore horse racing was born in Colonial times, and from 1842 was operated by the newly formed Singapore Sporting Club, later to be renamed the Singapore Turf Club.

The first race meeting was held in early 1843 with the inaugural race called the 'Singapore Cup'. The Club was located at Bukit Timah from 1933 until they moved to their new premises at Kranji in August 1999, alongside the all new Kranji Racecourse.

Race meetings in Singapore now take place at the state-of-the-art Kranji race track all year round on selected Wednesday & Fridays nights, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

A typical day meeting will have anywhere from 9 to 12 races, with night racing holding 7 to 9 races. Day meetings usually start and finish anywhere between 12.45pm and 6.30pm depending on the number of races, whilst night racing runs from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Horse Racing in Singapore

The Straits Racing Association (SRA) was formed in 1896 to regulate horse racing in Singapore and Malaysia. The SRA oversees the interests of four turf clubs and was renamed the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) in 1961.

Singapore Turf Club operates under the banner of the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) which is an association of four turf clubs, of which one is the Singapore Turf Club. The other three are all located in Malaysia, namely Penang Turf Club, Perak Turf Club and Selangor Turf Club.

The highlight of the Singapore racing year takes place in May with the running of the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup. This race was first held in 2000 along with the grand opening of the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji. It's the only horse racing event in Singapore that's open to international competitors, receiving its Group 1 status in 2002. The KrisFlyer International Sprint takes place on the same day in May.

Visit our international racing page to learn more about feature race meetings in Hong Kong and England.

Singapore Turf Club

The Singapore Turf Club (STC) was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club and is the only horse-racing club in Singapore. As stated previously, the STC is under the governance of the Malayan Racing Association (MRA).

In 1924, the Singapore Sporting Club changed its name to the Singapore Turf Club. The club moved to Bukit Timah in 1933 before relocating to its present location at the Singapore Racecourse at Kranji in August 1999.

On March 4th, 2000, the official opening of the Singapore Racecourse, by the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S R Nathan, witnessed inaugural running of the Singapore Airlines International Cup.

The locals love their racing and the Singapore Turf Club is the only legalised gambling authority in Singapore. Tote betting is utilised on race day and the club also operates the totalisator for betting on Hong Kong and South Africa races on Wednesday nights.

On Saturday and Sunday afternoons when races are "live" in Singapore and Malaysia, the club also operates the totalisator on selected races from Hong Kong and Western Australia.

Singapore Turf Club website

Kranji Racecourse

The Kranji race track opened in August 1999 and no expense was spared in creating a state of the art complex for horse racing in Singapore.

Racing is held on the 'Long Course' and 'Short Course' turf tracks and the smaller all-weather Polytrack, with a total of six tracks built in and around the circuit to cater for both racing and training.

Kranji is home to all major races in Singapore, including four races throughout the racing season worth more than S$1,000,000, with the jewel in the crown being the S$3M Singapore Airlines International Cup in May.

Kranji Track Map and racecourse details

Singapore Feature Races

There are currently around 27 feature races held each year in Singapore which range from Group 1 to Group 3 events. There are 8 Group One races each racing season in Singapore.

In May, the Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) for middle distance gallopers and KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) for sprinters make for a great day of racing at Kranji.

The Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) in November has become another major event each year and follows both the Kranji Mile & Raffles Cup as the third leg of the Singapore Triple Crown. In July, the Singapore Derby (2000m) is held for four-year-olds at set weights.

Singapore Group One races

Non-Feature Races

Group races have the highest prize money in Singapore, much like Australia, and racing classes at the lower levels begin at Maiden and go through to Class 1/Kranji Stakes A, as outlined below.

Singapore Handicapping System

Singapore has been using 'merit handicapping' as their method of rating horses since 2001. Whilst a system of handicapping on merit provides for competitive racing domestically the additional benefit is the accurate assessment of the racing standard of Singapore's horses relative to that of the global thoroughbred herd.

As the name suggests, handicapping on merit means that a horse's allocated weight in a race will have been earned by the measurement of his previous performances. This means that the revealed ability of the animal is the primary basis for determining his handicap rating.

Winners receive an upwards adjustment of 2 to 10 points in Handicaps based on the margin and manner of victory, quality of opposition and weight differentials. Placed horses receive necessary adjustments of 0 to 5 points based on proximity to the ‘Line Horse’. Unplaced runners receive 0 to 8 points relief based on overall performance profile.

Singapore Races

Singapore racing takes place on selected Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the racing season with anywhere from 9 to 12 races during the day, and 7 to 9 races for a night meeting.

Friday night generally hosts night racing, while weekend and public holiday race meets are held at daytime. A typical day meeting will start and finish anywhere between 12.45pm and 6.30pm depending on the number of races, whilst night racing is from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Public Grandstand
Admission charges apply to the Lower Grandstand (non-air-conditioned public level) and it is relatively low priced. Cost to enter the Upper Grandstand (air-conditioned public level) is around twice that of the lower level.

Tourists and public can purchase an admission ticket at $20 to the exclusive @Hibiscus on Level 3 of the Grandstand, with access to the restaurant.

For group bookings to corporate boxes and buffet arrangements, the club can be contacted on 6879 1715 or 6879 1718; or email marketing@turfclub.com.sg

Singapore Trainers & Jockeys

Trainers
The Singapore Turf Club boasts a good mix of professional trainers of different nationalities from different parts of the world. There are currently 24 trainers, based at the Singapore Turf Club.

Jockeys
Most jockeys riding in Singapore are licensed by the Malayan Racing Association. The Singapore Turf Club also grants Visiting Jockey Licences to overseas jockeys who wish to ride on a freelance or sponsored basis during Singapore race meetings. The Visiting Jockey Licences are approved based on rankings and top placings specified by the Singapore Turf Club.

Singapore Turf Club Contact Details

Contact the Singapore Turf Club at the below address.

1 Turf Club Avenue
Singapore Racecourse
Singapore 738078
Ph: (65) 6879 1715
Fax: (65) 6879 1010
Website: Singapore Turf Club

International racing is also very popular in Hong Kong and England. Visit our Hong Kong Horse Racing and Royal Ascot pages to learn about feature racing in those countries.