Latest news with #PenangTurfClub
The Star
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Capturing land windfalls for the people in Penang
Closed: Aerial view of the Penang Turf Club. — Filepic/The Star AS Penang faces unprecedented transformations in land use and real estate, the proposed sale of the Penang Turf Club (PTC) land underscores a deeper issue: how should extraordinary land value gains – especially from land originally granted for public or recreational use – be recaptured for public benefit? According to a report in The Star on June 10, 146 ordinary members of the PTC voted in favour of selling the club's 81ha site in George Town, paving the way for a transaction that could yield up to RM6bil once the land is rezoned for commercial use ('Penang Turf Club members vote for land sale during EGM'; online at
New Paper
24-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
V'Invincible set to flex muscles over longer
V'Invincible's last-start second was full of merit. One could say he was a "good horse beaten". On June 15, V'Invincible ran second to a good three-year-old in Trees Of Valinor. The son of I Am Invincible lost by three parts of a length with Troy See doing his best to urge him along. It came in the wake of V'Invincible having to take third placings at his two previous outings. Trainer Richard Lim and owners from the Vgor Stable could have been beating their chests in anguish. But they would not be crying over spilt milk. Instead, they would be looking forward to June 29. V'Invincible will be lining up in a Class 4A event, and he has a few factors in his favour. He gets in with a handy weight of 54.5kg, the second lowest in the field of 13: just ½ kg more than Legacy Fortune. The former Singapore galloper will also relish the 1,500m trip. To top it all, he will trot to the start with a good gallop under his belt. On the morning of June 24, V'Invincible was one of the stars on the training track, clocking 37.9sec for the 600m trip. Lim, who opened proceedings with Wan Legacy taking out the first race at Sungai Besi on June 22, would have been pleased with V'Invincible. The strapping six-year-old has two victories to his name. He opened his account in a Class 4 race (1,200m) on the Polytrack at Kranji on Jan 20, 2024, before pulling off his second win in Kuala Lumpur on April 20. That day, under John Sundradas, V'Invincible came from fifth spot at the 400m to beat the Simon Dunderdale-trained Commander by three parts of a length in a Class 4B contest. That was run over the 1,300m. He will be even better over the 1,500m. Elsewhere on that day, keep an eye on Renzo and Witnessimpact. They came away from their morning workouts looking like they were more than ready to lock horns in the Supreme A race (1,200m) on June 29. Both runners did not go against the clock, opting instead for some serious cantering on a track which was rated "good". Set to turn seven on Aug 1, Renzo was transferred to Sharee Hamilton after his last race at Kranji in June 2024. And with six races won in Singapore when under Ricardo Le Grange, and one win on his Malaysian debut in Penang on March 8, the honest galloper has won seven races to date. At his last start on May 31 - which was also the farewell meeting held at the Penang Turf Club - the Orpen gelding plodded home a well-beaten fifth in the RS A race (1,300m) won by Lucky Magic. He is capable of better and it will not surprise to see him romp home a winner on June 29. As for Witnessimpact, he, too, opted for a spot of cantering, and it would have topped him up sufficiently for the assignment coming up. A son of Star Witness, the five-year-old has won five races under the care of Dunderdale. Owned by Foong Ah Weng, Witnessimpact last ran in the Class 2 Korea Racing Authority Trophy race (1,020m) at the Selangor Turf Club on June 15. For a moment, at the 400m mark, he looked good. However, he was swamped over the concluding stages and had to settle for fifth behind eventual winner, Filial Dragon. Witnessimpact came into that race after a 70-day break and would have needed that run. Watch him. Come June 29, he could reinvent himself as a winner. Elsewhere on the 12-race meeting, the 3-Year-Old Mile Championship is shaping up to be a hotly-contested event with a total prize money of RM200,000 (S$60,200) up for grabs. The 1,600m event has attracted 12 entries and, on the morning of June 24, four of the runners strutted their stuff with fast gallops over the 600m. Trainer Frank Maynard's Duma and Trees Of Valinor ran out the trip in 38.8sec while Tiang Kim Choi's Defeater clocked 41.8sec for the same journey. Then, there was Cheval Pegasus. The two-time winner from Jason Ong's yard clocked 39sec. It would seem the race for the up-and-coming three-year-old milers can be a mouth-watering clash, with the winner being promised bragging rights. brian@
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Union protest outside Penang Turf Club over lay-off dispute
The Club Employees Union of Peninsular Malaysia is demanding that the club return to the negotiating table to discuss compensation for affected employees. (Club Employees Union of Peninsular Malaysia pic) PETALING JAYA : Members of the Club Employees Union of Peninsular Malaysia held a peaceful protest outside the Penang Turf Club's headquarters in George Town today, protesting the club's alleged refusal to negotiate termination benefits for retrenched workers. The protest follows the club's closure after its final race meeting on May 31. The union is demanding that the club return to the negotiating table to discuss compensation for affected employees. 'Employers cannot make unilateral decisions about employees' futures without proper consultation,' the union said in a statement. Union chairman Rudy Rusly told FMT that while initial discussions had taken place, the club later refused to address key issues such as final working dates, outstanding salaries, and retrenchment benefits. 'Since April, we've sent several letters seeking clarification, but received no response. We're disappointed by the lack of engagement,' he said.
The Star
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Last call at the PTC track to mark the end of a 161-year legacy
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Turf Club (PTC), Malaysia's oldest horse racing institution, has hosted its final race, marking the end of a 161-year legacy. A large crowd of spectators and punters turned up yesterday at the grandstand located in the 81.75ha site in Batu Gantong. Among them was Penangite Ooi Chee Chong, 43, who stepped into the PTC grounds for the first time on what would be its last official race day. 'I've heard stories from my friends and older colleagues about the races here. They used to come here in the 1960s and '70s, dressed in their Sunday best. It wasn't just about the betting for them; it was a big social outing and people came to see and be seen. 'I never had much interest in horse racing until recently. To be honest, I always thought of the turf club as something from the past, something for older people. 'But when I heard it was closing, I felt a strange sense of urgency as I didn't want to let it disappear without seeing it for myself,' he said. Ooi, who works as a factory purchaser, described the atmosphere as unexpectedly moving. 'Even though it's my first time here, you can feel the emotion in the air. You look around and see old timers saying their goodbyes silently and taking selfies at the grandstand. It hits you because this place means a lot to a lot of people. 'It's a bittersweet moment. There's excitement, but also a sense of loss. It's like closing a chapter of our local heritage. 'Once this land is redeveloped, the entire experience will vanish – the turf, the track, the energy, the stories,' he said. A punter, who wanted to be known only as Cheah, 67, said even if horse racing is revived elsewhere in Penang, it would not be the same. 'This place, with its colonial-era clubhouse and old trees, has a certain soul. You can't recreate that in a new venue. 'I'm glad I came here as it feels like I've touched a part of Penang's past, just before it disappears forever,' he added. Seven races were staged as part of the farewell, including the RM250,000 PTC Farewell Trophy (1,300m race), the RM150,000 PTC Memorial Trophy (1,100m race), and the RM100,000 Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy for the 1,400m race. As the sun sets on PTC, the echoes of cheering crowds and thundering hooves will give way to new developments. PTC president Datuk Ong Eng Khuan said, 'It is with a heavy heart that we had to resort to this measure of ceasing racing operations as we have been incurring losses for many years. 'The club has been struggling with fallen attendance, a drastic drop in racing revenue, lack of participation and interest in horse ownership over the years. 'Horse racing, unfortunately, is no longer attracting the big crowds like it did in the 1950s,' he said in a statement. Ong added that although PTC will cease its racing operations, the entity of Penang Turf Club will remain until its full closure. In June last year, PTC members voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the club and sell its prime land. On April 20 this year, the PTC voted unanimously to close following a Special General Meeting. It confirmed the resolutions passed at the First Special General Meeting on June 10, 2024, to dissolve. The land, adjacent to the upscale Taman Jesselton, is estimated to be worth between RM2bil and RM3bil upon conversion to commercial status. However, the transition from recreational to mixed development use is projected to cost about RM1bil. An initial open tender for the entire property concluded without any qualified bids. The club plans to subdivide the land into smaller parcels to attract a broader range of potential buyers. Civil society groups have raised concerns about the proposed rezoning of the PTC land from a green recreational space to a commercial and mixed development area. They said it could lead to irreversible negative impacts on Penang's environment and infrastructure. Established in 1864, the PTC began its journey on a modest parcel of land, granted free, along Macalister Road (now St George's Girls' School), for the purpose of horse racing. It relocated to its present site in 1939. Die-hard racing fans can look to the Perak Turf Club, established in 1886, and the Selangor Turf Club, founded a decade later in 1896, both of which continue to host regular meets for now.
New Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Retired racing journo saddened by PTC's end
KUALA LUMPUR: Retired horse- racing journalist Ram Derayan sighs when the topic of Penang Turf Club (PTC), which is set to close down after 160 years, comes up. "I always knew it could happen," said Ram, who wrote under the byline Go Ram. "Of course, it is very sad. I spent a lot of time there," said Ram, who is born and raised in Penang. The former New Straits Times and The Star correspondent spent countless hours at PTC in his 45 years covering the racing beat. "PTC is a great club that had many champion trainers there in the past. "There were easily more than 20 of them (trainers) and most of them were foreigners. "The highlight each year was the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Gold Cup. "The Gold Cup was the first Malaysian event to feature prize money of over RM1 million." s Ram said PTC, which hosted its final race yesterday, was a staple of the Malaysian Racing Association circuit alongside the Perak Turf Club, Selangor Turf Club and the Singapore Turf Club. "The horses would travel between Penang, Ipoh, Selangor, as well as Kranji in Singapore for races. "I would go with them to write about the races." Still, he said he was not surprised that PTC had reached its final lap, owing to the decline in the sport's popularity. In recent years, a number of turf clubs in Asia has either closed down or ceased to host races. The Singapore Turf Club held its final race on Oct 5, 2024. Ram, however, believes it is possible for horse racing to bounce back with the right support. "Clubs have to do their part and bring in or develop new trainers and promote the sport more."
