Penang Turf Club
{{Short description|Defunct race track in the Malaysian state of Penang}}
{{Infobox racecourse|Name=Penang Turf Club|Image=Penang Turf Club in 2025.jpg|coordinates={{coord|5.4178|100.2994|region:MY|display=inline,title}}|Location=George Town, Malaysia|CourseType=Horse racing|Opened={{Start date and age|1864}}|Closed={{Start date and age|2025}}|Owner=Penang Turf Club|Capacity=14,000|Website=https://penangturfclub.com/|Caption={{Infobox mapframe|tyep=shape|zoom=12|frame-width=250}}}}
The Penang Turf Club ({{Small|abbrev.}} PTC) is a defunct horse racing track in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Established in 1864, it was the oldest of Malaysia's three turf clubs, alongside the Selangor and Perak turf clubs. The race track has a three-storey grandstand with a capacity of 14,000. In addition to its primary function as a venue for horse racing, the {{Convert|118.1|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} race track includes a nine-hole golf course.
In 2024, members of the PTC approved a resolution to dissolve the club and list the race track for sale. The venue held its last horse race in the following year.
History
Founded in 1864, the PTC was the second oldest horse racing club in British Malaya, following the Singapore Sporting Club which was established in 1842.{{Cite news |last=Rosalynn Poh |date=24 Mar 2025 |title=Penang Turf Club to be sold in parcels — sources |url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/748227 |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=The Edge}}{{Cite web |last=Bonny Tan |date=Jan 2019 |title=Singapore Turf Club |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=1d288200-6af8-4539-858a-3de9408f835c#:~:text=The%20Singapore%20Turf%20Club,%20renowned,SSC)%20on%204%20October%201842. |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |website=National Library Board}} David Wardlow Brown was the club's first president.{{Cite book |last=Hockton |first=Keith |title=Penang: An Inside Guide to Its Historic Homes, Buildings, Monuments and Parks. |publisher=MPH Group |year=2012 |isbn=978-967-415-303-8}}
The PTC originally received a land grant {{Em dash}} provided free of charge by the Straits Settlements government {{Em dash}} at Macalister Road for its first race track.{{Cite news |date=21 Apr 2025 |title=Malaysia’s oldest horse racing club to close, last race could be on May 31 |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/penang-turf-club-oldest-horse-racing-malaysia-close-down-5078051 |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=Channel NewsAsia}}{{Cite book |last=Cheah |first=Jin Seng |title=Penang 500 Early Postcards |publisher=Editions Didier Millet |year=2013 |isbn=9789671061718}} The race track, measuring nearly {{Convert|1621.8|yards|abbr=on}}, was located at the site of what is now St. George's Girls' School.{{Cite web |title=Our History |url=https://penangturfclub.com/our-history/ |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |website=Penang Turf Club |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Alex Teng |last2=Bernard See |date=3 Jun 2024 |title=Fate of fountain in limbo |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/03/fate-of-fountain-in-limbo |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=The Star}} The PTC also maintained an office within the Government Offices at Weld Quay.
The original race track on Macalister Road incorporated a section designated for a golf course. The first structures of the track were constructed from wood and attap. In 1900, new grandstands were added to the race track. From 1912 to 1928, it was considered the most modern race track in Malaya.
In 1935, the PTC acquired the present-day {{Convert|230|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} site at Batu Gantong.{{Cite book |last=Khoo |first=Salma Nasution |url=https://archive.org/details/streetsofgeorget00khoo |title=Streets of George Town, Penang |publisher=Areca Books |year=2007 |isbn=9789839886009 |url-access=registration}} The race track was relocated to the Batu Gantong site by 1939. Horse racing continued to be permitted during the Japanese occupation, allowing the PTC to survive World War II unscathed.
The {{Convert|230|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} site comprises the {{Convert|118.1|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} race track, which has a grandstand with a capacity of 14,000 and includes a nine-hole golf course, as well as six other land parcels surrounding the race track.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://penangturfclub.com/about/ |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |website=Penang Turf Club}}
= Dissolution =
In 2002, the PTC entered into an agreement with local property developer Abad Naluri for the sale of the race track. Abad Naluri had planned to build the RM25 billion Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), envisioned as a mixed-use development with commercial and residential components. Public opposition to the project contributed to Pakatan Rakyat (predecessor to the present-day Pakatan Harapan coalition) seizing power from the incumbent Barisan Nasional in the 2008 state election. The PGCC project was eventually scrapped.{{Cite journal |last=Chan |first=Xin Ying |last2=Weiss |first2=Meredith |last3=Tricia Yeoh |date=23 Jul 2024 |title=The Business of Governing Penang: Workarounds as Remedy? |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18681034241262041 |journal=Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs |volume=43 |issue=2 |via=Sage Publishing}}
In 2011, Berjaya Corporation acquired {{Convert|23|acre|abbr=on}} from the PTC to develop the low-density residential neighbourhoods of Kensington Gardens and Jesselton Courtyard.{{Cite news |last=Sharen Kaur |date=8 Aug 2019 |title=BLand's Kensington Gardens taps luxury demand |url=https://www.nst.com.my/property/2019/08/511076/blands-kensington-gardens-taps-luxury-demand |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=New Straits Times}}{{Cite news |last=Sharen Kaur |date=21 Jul 2024 |title=Berjaya Land unit unveils luxury homes in Georgetown |url=https://www.nst.com.my/property/2024/07/1079497/berjaya-land-unit-unveils-luxury-homes-georgetown |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=New Straits Times}} As interest in horse racing declined and financial difficulties mounted following the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2024, members of the PTC voted to dissolve the club and list the race track for sale.{{Cite news |last=David Tan |date=20 Apr 2025 |title=Penang Turf Club votes to close, final race set for May 31 |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/04/20/penang-turf-club-votes-to-close-final-race-set-for-may-31 |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=The Star}}{{Cite news |last=Alex Teng |date=30 Mar 2025 |title=Penang Turf Club on final stretch |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/03/30/penang-turf-club-on-final-stretch |access-date=25 Apr 2025 |work=The Star}} At the time, the land and its associated properties were valued between RM2 billion and RM3 billion. However, by the end of 2024, the club received no qualifying bids, prompting plans to subdivide the land into smaller parcels to attract more potential buyers.
The last horse race at the PTC was held on 31 May 2025.{{Cite news |last=Alex Teng |date=31 May 2025 |title=So lomg, after last furlong |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/05/31/so-long-after-last-furlong |access-date=5 Jun 2025 |work=The Star}} Following the closure of the PTC, the Perak Turf Club and Selangor Turf Club are the only operational turf clubs within Malaysia.
See also
References
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