Singapore Turf Club
182-year Homestretch Campaign
A multi-strand heritage programme celebrating - and bidding farewell to - one of Singapore's oldest and most beloved institutions
At a glance
182 years of history
8-month project timeline
4 Heritage Walk exhibitions
1 Hall of Fame exhibition
11 short films researched
1 social media campaign supported
Singapore
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Singapore 〰️
The end of an era - 182 years of Singapore racing history
Founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club, the Singapore Turf Club is one of Asia's oldest sporting institutions. For 182 years it defined racing in Singapore - from the colonial-era races at Farrer Park, to the grand Bukit Timah Racecourse, to the purpose-built Kranji in 2000. In 2024, the Club staged its final season: the Celebrating Our Homestretch campaign.
History Ink was commissioned to help deliver this landmark farewell - a major programme of research, exhibitions, films and social media content that would do justice to nearly two centuries of history, community and sporting glory.
Into Singapore's archives and beyond
History Ink's research team (pictured, right - Joey, Megan and Lynn) worked across multiple source collections including local newspaper archives, the National Archives, the National Library and the Club's own collection. The research informed content across four Heritage Walk exhibitions, a Hall of Fame exhibition, eleven films, and ongoing social media storytelling.
The research uncovered remarkable stories, from the 1880 inaugural Singapore Derby at Farrer Park; the Queen Elizabeth II Cup's origins in Her Majesty's 1972 royal visit; the moment in 1999 when the Gold Cup's prize purse hit one million dollars for the first time; as well as the first and only female trainer to win the Kranji Mile (Donna Logan with Minister in 2021).
Four races, four exhibitions, one unforgettable farewell
History Ink co-curated four Heritage Walk exhibitions, each accompanying one of the final editions of the Club's signature races.
Bilingual display panels lined the walkways of Kranji Racecourse, guiding racegoers through the history of each race: the Kranji Mile (18 May), the Singapore Derby (21 July), the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (7 September) and the Grand Singapore Gold Cup (5 October). History Ink provided research and narratives to Jack Morton and the design team for production.
A VIP send-off for Singapore's racing pioneers
For the final Grand Singapore Gold Cup, held on 5 October 2024 with a prize purse of $1.38 million, History Ink curated the Hall of Fame exhibition, a special VIP installation celebrating the Club's most notable individuals: pioneering jockeys, legendary trainers, record-breaking racehorses and the remarkable owners who shaped 182 years of Singapore racing.
History Ink also provided research and media sourcing for eleven films created for the Grand Singapore Gold Cup race day, as well as story leads and accuracy checks for the Club's social media channels throughout the season — ensuring every post and every screen told the Club's history with precision and pride.
Project partners
Jack Morton
Weber Shandwick
Crave FX
2024
Singapore
Singapore Turf Club
‘Dr Amelia Allsop, an accomplished institutional historian and archivist from History Ink, [was] engaged by STC to document the Club’s rich history’
- Singapore Turf Club press release, September 2024