As global horse racing declines, Selangor Turf Club fights to stay in the saddle
KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Once the crown jewel of the sporting world, horse racing now stands as a shadow of its former glory. Globally, storied turf clubs are shutting down, plagued by illegal betting, dwindling spectators, and generational shifts in interest.
Singapore's Turf Club, one of Asia's oldest, is set to close in 2027, with its last race held in October 2023. Macau's operations ceased in April, while Thailand's Royal Turf Club in Bangkok was demolished in 2018. Closer to home, Malaysia's Penang Turf Club recently announced its inability to sustain itself.
Yet, in Selangor, a vestige of this old world endures.
Nestled off the highway in Sungai Besi, the Selangor Turf Club (STC), founded in 1896, stands tall as Malaysia's last premier racecourse.
A recent weekend visit revealed haunting silence. Barely 200 to 300 punters trickled in throughout the afternoon. Once-bustling VIP enclosures, previously frequented by the country's elite, sat almost empty. Betting counters stood idle, televisions flickered quietly, and muted conversations filled the air.
Still, STC breathes history.
Selangor Turf Club before a race begins. — Pictures by Yusof Mat Isa
A place of prestige
From royalty to rockstars, the Selangor Turf Club has hosted international and Malaysian high society. The club's prestige was cemented when Queen Elizabeth II visited in the 1980s, a nod to horse racing's aristocratic roots. In 2001, football legend Sir Alex Ferguson also made headlines with his visit.
More recently, in 2024, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters became the latest dignitary to walk through its gates, underscoring the club's diplomatic and cultural significance.
STC is more than just a sporting venue. Through its flagship charity race, the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor, the club's 'A Heart for Charity' initiative has channeled funds into numerous community programmes. These range from disaster relief in Japan and Indonesia to supporting Malaysian NGOs.
Additionally, STC operates Malaysia's most accessible public equestrian facility, runs the National Equine Hospital, and houses the country's only Apprentice Jockey School, nurturing young talent often from rural east coast towns where riding ponies is second nature.
A sport losing its spark
As regional turf clubs fall like dominoes, STC is positioning itself as Southeast Asia's central pillar for horse racing.
'The closure of several regional racecourses has brought STC into the limelight, positioning it as the premier racecourse in Southeast Asia and the fourth in Asia. This has opened up a significant opportunity for growth,' said STC chairman Tan Sri Richard Cham Hak Lim.
The grandstand, once filled with thousands of spectators on weekends, now sits largely empty. — Picture by R. Loheswar
Horse owners and trainers displaced from Singapore and Macau are now stabling their horses in Selangor and Perak. Currently, STC hosts over 800 horses, with more expected as the club cements its reputation as a safe haven in the shrinking industry.
In 2025, STC plans to host 55 races, including the Selangor Mile in July, featuring a RM1 million prize — Malaysia's richest race for four-year-olds. Monthly feature races now offer prize money exceeding RM100,000, with a total purse of RM31 million allocated for 2025.
'This substantial increase not only provides greater incentives for participation but also demonstrates confidence in the future of the sport,' Cham added.
A dedicated viewing platform allows punters to get up close with the horses as they are paraded before the race. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Modernising for the future
To rejuvenate the sport, STC has forged alliances with leading bloodstock agencies, including Magic Millions and New Zealand Bloodstock. In 2024, local owners and trainers imported a record 41 horses from New Zealand, valued at nearly NZD$2.2 million (RM5.58 million).
STC is also introducing a Community Horse Project, importing up to 100 yearlings annually for training and racing under a separate programme with bonus incentives for three- and four-year-olds.
On the tech front, the club has adopted the Quantum™ tote engine, enabling international commingling and larger global betting pools. Plans are underway to convert Track 2 into a Polytrack for year-round racing, and STC is exploring solar energy adoption to enhance sustainability.
The Kuala Lumpur skyline provides a stunning backdrop to the Selangor Turf Club racetrack. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
A fragile but fighting legacy
Despite its ambitious vision, STC faces steep challenges, including illegal betting, regulatory inertia, and shifting audience habits.
'Attendance has dropped significantly, and revenue has plummeted, putting immense strain on operations,' said Perak Turf Club chairman Datuk John Lim, as reported by Malay Mail.
A victorious jockey celebrates with his team at the Selangor Turf Club. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
In response, STC is upgrading its facilities and hosting lifestyle-themed events like Ladies' Day and Merdeka Day celebrations to attract a younger audience. A collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Jockey Club aims to transform public enclosures into modern lounge spaces.
'We want to offer a more elevated experience and move beyond the image of racing as just gambling,' said Cham. 'It's about creating an atmosphere that's luxurious, vibrant, and inclusive.'
Recommended reading:
Perak Turf Club's bold RM6m makeover aims to revive its glory days for a new generation
From racehorses to retail: Perak Turf Club's stables get second life as Asia's first 'stable market'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
14 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Club World Cup talking points: South Americans shine, Europe stumbles, weather wreaks havoc
PHILADELPHIA, June 22 — The opening week of the first 32-team Fifa Club World Cup in the United States has been played under a political shadow, while South American sides impress and some games struggle to attract fans. AFP Sport looks at some of the main talking points at the tournament so far: Political shadow Fifa have faced criticism for their increasingly close links to US President Donald Trump and his administration. Ahead of the tournament, Uefa accused Fifa chief Gianni Infantino of prioritising 'private political interests' after he turned up late for Fifa's own congress because he met with Trump in the Middle East. Infantino was in the Oval Office again on Wednesday with a delegation from Juventus, as they shared an awkward exchange with Trump as he questioned them on transgender athletes. 'It was a bit weird,' said Juventus and USA forward Timothy Weah. 'When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of, like... I just want to play football, man.' Meanwhile some fans were worried by reports ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers were providing 'security' at Club World Cup stadiums. Plainclothes ICE officers have been targeting what they say are 'undocumented' migrants. To this point they do not appear to have apprehended any match-going supporters. European teams not getting it all their own way Europe's leading clubs are the richest in the world and it would be a surprise if the winner of the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup came from a different continent. However, the evidence so far is that Europe's representatives are not having it all their own way. Up to Friday, clubs from Europe had won only half of 16 games against opponents from other continents, with South America showing it can more than hold its own. Paris Saint-Germain lost to Botafogo, while Chelsea were blown away by Flamengo. Real Madrid could not get the better of Saudi side Al-Hilal, but Europe sent far more clubs (12) than any other continent and it still looks likely that over half of the teams in the last 16 will be European. Attendances hold up despite empty seats There has been a lot of talk about empty seats, with the low point being the attendance of 3,412 in Orlando for Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan HD. There were also barely 22,000 at Chelsea's win over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, leaving around 50,000 empty seats in the stadium in Atlanta. Yet the average attendance over the first seven days at the tournament was 36,135. That is higher than the average in La Liga, Serie A or Ligue 1 over the last season. The games featuring South American teams have seen some incredible atmospheres, especially in Miami for Friday's clash between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors. 'Amazing, amazing,' said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany when asked about the crowd, with passionate Boca fans making up the vast majority of the 63,587 attendance. 'It is one of these things: if you are not here it is sometimes hard to understand, but being here is an experience, a privilege.' Waiting for the weather Several matches have been held up because of inclement weather. Common public safety protocols in the US mandate that outdoor sports events are suspended for at least 30 minutes if lightning or thunder is seen or heard in the nearby area. Two matches in Orlando, a regular location for tropical storms, have been suspended, while games in East Rutherford and Cincinnati have also been interrupted. National team coaches preparing for the 2026 World Cup must consider the best way to prepare their players to cope with such delays. Climate change has been linked to an increase in frequency and intensity of storms and extreme weather conditions. 'Showbiz' NBA-style walkouts Organisers have jumped on the chance to make each game a show in the style of a traditional American sporting event, including having players come out onto the field one by one as their names are announced, like in the NBA. 'Why not bring it to the Premier League,' replied Chelsea's Romeo Lavia when asked if it could become a thing in England. 'It's a bit of a showbiz thing, isn't it? I quite like it.' Not everyone agrees with Lavia. 'It's a bit slow. I find it a bit strange. It seems like putting on a show for the sake of it. It seems a bit pointless,' said the Porto coach, Martin Anselmi. — AFP
Malay Mail
19 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Beyond Paris 2024: Why Olympic gender testing could change women's sports forever
The IOC is considering reintroducing chromosome-based gender testing as sports bodies move to tighten eligibility rules for women's events. Critics argue these tests are scientifically flawed and harmful, while supporters say they protect fairness in female competition. A key legal decision on DSD athlete Caster Semenya's case is expected in July, which could shape the future of gender rules in global sport. LAUSANNE, June 22 — As the gender furore that engulfed boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics rumbles on, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is weighing reintroducing testing, while several sports have already embraced testing for male chromosomes. Such testing has its critics and the Olympics have already tried it once only to abandon it in 1996. Incoming president Kirsty Coventry, who will become the first woman to lead the Olympic movement when she starts her term on Monday, signalled a change of direction on this politically inflammatory and scientifically complex issue when she was elected in March. 'We will protect the female category and female athletes,' said Coventry, a Zimbabwean swimmer who won seven Olympic medals. At recent Games, the IOC has left responsibility for setting and enforcing gender rules to the international federations who run their sports. 'I want the IOC to take a little bit more of a leading role,' Coventry said, adding that she planned to create 'a task force.' Even before Coventry begins her consultations, World Athletics and World Boxing have adopted chromosomal testing – generally a cheek swab. World Aquatics in 2023 adopted a policy that foresees such testing. Their rules make participation in women's competition conditional on the absence of Y chromosome genetic material – known as the SRY gene, an indicator of masculinity. 'Non-invasive' Only 'XX athletes', as World Athletics calls them, can compete. Both transgender women and those who have always been considered female but have XY chromosomes – a form of 'differences in sex development' (DSD) – are excluded. On the surface, chromosomal screening simplifies access to women's competition, which has long been the subject of varied regulations and scientific and ethical debates. Last October, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, told the UN General Assembly that such tests were 'reliable and non-invasive.' The gender debate reignited in June around Paris Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif. Gold medallist Imane Khelif of Algeria holds up her medal during the victory ceremony for the women's 66kg boxing event at the Paris 2024 Olympics at Roland-Garros Stadium in Paris, France, August 9, 2024. — Reuters pic The Algerian was at the centre of a violent controversy over her gender last summer stoked by Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. World Boxing, which is taking over running Olympic boxing in Los Angeles in 2028, ordered Khelif to undergo testing before a competition in the Netherlands in early June. She skipped the event. During the Paris Games, the International Boxing Association, which was booted out of the Olympics by the IOC in 2019, accused Khelif, raised as a girl, of carrying XY chromosomes. Chromosomal screening attracts criticism, notably from the World Medical Association and human rights organisations. 'Highly invasive' 'It is far from being scientifically accurate as a performance indicator, while being very harmful to the athletes affected,' Madeleine Pape, a sociologist of gender in sport at the University of Lausanne, told AFP. While World Athletics and World Aquatics both say transgender women have a muscular advantage, Pape, who ran the 800m for Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, disagrees. She said there is a lack of research proving that transgender athletes or those with or one of the many forms of DSD gain a 'disproportionate advantage' over XX competitors. Explaining performance is so complex that this uncertainty applies to 'all athletes,' said Pape. She also said it was possible to have an XY chromosome while being 'totally or partially insensitive to testosterone,' as was the case with Spanish hurdler Maria Jose Martinez-Patino, who after missing out on the 1988 Olympics was the first woman to successfully challenge the femininity tests in court. Aware of these limitations, World Boxing and World Athletics are proposing additional steps after SRY screening which could include anatomical examination. 'Chromosomal tests seem very simple, very clean, but there is a lot of complexity behind them: potentially a highly invasive and non-standardised gynaecological examination, or expensive genetic sequencing that is inaccessible in many countries,' said Pape. Ultimately, the future of such tests could be decided in the courts. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to rule on July 10, for a second time, on the case of DSD athlete Caster Semenya, the double Olympic 800m champion. The South African was barred from competing under an earlier version of the World Athletics rules. In 2023, the court ruled that her rights had been infringed but that decision did not force WA to reinstate her. — AFP
Barnama
a day ago
- Barnama
Malaysians Show Solidarity With Palestinians At Himpunan 10K Untukmu Palestin Rally
KOTA BHARU, June 21 (Bernama) -- Thousands of Malaysians showed up at the grounds of Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium here tonight in solidarity with Palestinians at the 'Himpunan 10K Malam Untukmu Palestin' rally. Kelantan Youth, Sports, Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) and Community Unity Committee chairman Zamakhshari Muhammad said that the rally allowed Malaysians to come together and state their stand against the cruelty of the Israel regime against the Palestinian people in Gaza. 'The rally also creates awareness for people in Kelantan and Malaysia that the Palestinian issue is a universal humanitarian issue that should be championed by all,' he told Bernama at the rally tonight.
