Latest news with #PenangTurfClubFarewellTrophy
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Emotional victory for Penang-born jockey as PTC rides into the sunset
GEORGE TOWN: As horse racing at the Penang Turf Club (PTC) in Batu Gantung draws to a close, the club commissioned a specially named farewell trophy to mark its swan song. The 1,300m Race 6 featured 14 horses competing for the RM250,000 Penang Turf Club Farewell Trophy. It was won by Super Salute, trained by V. Sivan and jockeyed by C.K. Khaw. Khaw, 31, a Penang native, said the win was all the more meaningful to him, as this was the last race at PTC. "I am speechless. I wasn't leading from the beginning but at the 350m mark, I saw a gap and seized the opportunity to move in and overtake. "I pushed through all the way to the finish line." Khaw began his career as a jockey after finishing high school at 19, and has been riding professionally for 12 years. "This is not the hardest race I've won but it was the most significant -- winning on Penang soil, on the final day of the PTC." Khaw, based in Kuala Lumpur, said he intends to ride professionally for as long as he can. "Although PTC has ceased operations, I'll keep competing at the Perak and Selangor Turf Clubs and aim to grow my name in the industry." Meanwhile, Sivan told the "New Straits Times" that he was happy with the win but sad that today was the last race at PTC. "What's more, Super Salute set a track record with an impressive time. "We'll continue racing in Kuala Lumpur, but for now, Super Salute deserves a good rest." The final race started at 4.25pm and ended at 4.27pm, which marked the official closing of the track. The Special Rapid Stakes A 1,300m was won by horse No 5 Lucky Magic, trained by H.Y. Cheng and jockeyed by R. Shafiq. With the conclusion of the seven races, Penang bids farewell to a cherished institution.
New Paper
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Ong's first and last stab at Penang races
Jason Ong will have his first runners in Penang on May 31, but they will also be his last. That new milestone for the two-time Singapore champion trainer begins and ends so quickly, simply because the Penang Turf Club will be staging its last meeting in 162 years of existence on that day. Low turnover and attendances have forced the second of the original four Malayan Racing Association clubs to close doors after the Singapore Turf Club on Oct 5. Ong, who has never set foot at the Batu Gantong track but did visit Penang as the typical Singaporean tourist in search of its famous street food, said he could not possibly let this last chance of saddling a runner there go begging. "I've been to Penang but not its races. It'll be nice to be there," said Ong. "There's nothing to celebrate, obviously, but I can now say I had a runner there before it closes." After relocating to Kuala Lumpur in November, the 37-year-old handler has not taken long to bring his Singapore dominance up north. With his powerful Kranji squad more or less moving wholesale, his haul of two to three winners a week have already become part of the Sungai Besi landscape. Ong is already well clear at the top on 41 wins, including two at his only Ipoh visit on March 30. Penang was always on his radar, but opportunities were rare, with only one meeting (March 8) held after so many cancellations. The end was nigh and, when the club announced it was curtains, Ong circled its final day in red. Of particular interest is the highlight, the RM250,000 (S$76,000) Penang Turf Club Farewell Trophy, which, unlike the Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) deliberately run as Singapore's very last race, is slated as the penultimate event on the seven-race programme. The 1,300m trip of the Special Rapid Stakes A made Ong wince, but he would still press on with his first choice - Pacific Vampire. Ironically, the noted speedster also ran in the Singapore Gold Cup but was a spent force 500m out before floundering to last place. While Ong would have preferred 1,200m, he is convinced the Impending five-year-old will not raise the white flag so early this time. "Vampire is the best horse in my barn. He was my logical choice for the race," he said. "The 1,300m is a question mark as all his wins (four in Kranji and two in Kuala Lumpur) have not been beyond 1,200m, but he has matured a lot here. "He needed two or three runs to get right, but we saw how he relaxed better in his last two wins. "I think he can see out the 1,300m, but of course, we don't know how he'll handle the travelling and the different track. "Penang doesn't look much different from KL. He'll be right." Pacific Vampire jumps from the inside alley with Jerlyn Seow up. If he and three stablemates come up short, Ong has one last bullet in the actual Penang swansong. Pacific Padrino, who is also first emergency in the Farewell Trophy, is in the last race, another Special Rapid Stakes A over 1,300m. manyan@
