The Bukit Timah Race Course was a venue for

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

in the

Bukit Timah Bukit Timah ( ), often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly from the Central Business District, bordering the Central ...

area of

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. Built by the Bukit Timah Turf Club, it was opened on 15 April 1933 by the Governor of Singapore. There was no racing from 1941 through 1946 as a result of World War II. During its sixty-six years, Bukit Timah Race Course was visited by numerous Singapore and foreign dignitaries including a 1972 visit by racing fan and Thoroughbred owner, Her Majesty

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

and

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

. In honor of her visit, the

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April over a distance of 2,000 metres (te ...

was established. In 1959 the Singapore Derby was revived at Bukit Timah Race Course and was the feature race on its final day of operation on 25 July 1999. It was closed to make way for

Kranji Racecourse The Singapore Racecourse/ Singapore Turf Club is a venue for thoroughbred horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over ...

Turf City

Turf City was opened in 1999 with a 10-year lease until 2010. Its first tenant was Singapore Agro Agricultural (SAA).

Singapore Land Authority The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Law of the Government of Singapore. SLA optimises land resources for Singapore's social and economic development. History The SLA was formed on 1 June 2001 when the ...

wanted this tenant to extend its lease until 1 March 2012. By this time, SH Cogent (Cogent Land Capital) took over the Turf City portion and several shops had been closed and demolished. Turf City was renamed 'The Grandstand' and opened after upgrading in July 2012. As connectivity was poor until 2015, shuttle buses were originally provided from Toa Payoh or Clementi. After that, connections were provided from Botanic Gardens or Sixth Avenue. The Bukit Timah Race Course area was shut down in 2023 to make way for future development, including the MRT station at the former Turf City and a mix of public and private homes.

References

{{reflist Defunct horse racing venues in Singapore Turf Clubs in Singapore