PETALING JAYA: Horse Racing fans were in full delight last weekend when Selangor Turf Club hosted its first Classic Cup race, the Tunku Gold Cup on Sunday after a lapse of two years.
The horse racing sector in Malaysia was badly impacted by the pandemic, with horse racing operations at Malaysian Turf Clubs being suspended. Stakeholders in the industry, notably horse owners and trainers who are responsible for the animals’ welfare and needs, incurred financial losses.
Horse racing resumed fully in September 2021, and gradually the Selangor Turf Club has picked its momentum and hosted its Tunku Gold Cup race.
The Tunku Gold Cup, named after our first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, has been one of the most respected classic races in the Malaysian horse racing circuit and was first held in 1968.
The Tunku Gold Cup was sponsored by Nine Dragon Boat Seafood Restaurant, a Chinese Cuisine restaurant located in Taman Taynton View, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The race was named as Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup.
The Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup race, offering prize money of RM200,000, attracted the participation of top sprint runners in the circuit. The race was open to horses three years old and above with a rating band of 71 and above and ran over a distance of 1200 metres. The race demonstrated keen competition among the runners to clinch the Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup. Racing fans had a wonderful afternoon cheering at the top of their voice as the horses competed at the finish line.
AWESOME STORM ridden by Brazilian Jockey Jose De Souza was too good for its rivals to score an impressive triumph at the finish. AWESOME STORM captured the Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup by eight and a half length. The horse was owned by Awesome Storm Stable and trained by Simon Dunderdale.
Datuk Seri Chia Yoong Yoong, representing the Nine Dragon Boat Seafood Restaurant, presented the Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup prizes to the winners.
“We thank Nine Dragon Boat Seafood Restaurant for their sponsorship. The initiative taken by the Selangor Turf Club to host the Nine Dragon Boat Tunku Gold Cup race after a lapse of two years, has given great hope to revive the racing industry” said Deputy Chairman of Selangor Turf Club, Clement Chew Kuan Hock.
Nine Dragon Boat Seafood Restaurant is also working in collaboration with the Selangor Turf Club to organise a charity event at the Club soon.
