30 April 2022 is a day to remember – the reopening of Singapore Turf Club (STC) to the public after two years of running races behind closed doors. From then, the countdown begins to one of the biggest races at the Club – the $1 million Kranji Mile happening on 21 May 2022.
We take you on a back of house tour for an exclusive peek into the extensive and elaborate preparations that go into our first feature race of the year and the first one since our reopening. It is only apt to bring back the Kranji roar from the cheering crowd with the Kranji Mile.
Surrounded by lush greenery, STC sits on a sprawling 124-hectares of land (or about 232 football fields). It takes a 14-member strong tracks team to maintain the world-class stature of our race tracks. Rain or shine, races must go on and keeping the tracks in tip-top condition keeps jockeys and horses safe from injuries and accidents. Extra tender loving care is given to our turf track where the Group 1 Kranji Mile race is set to run.
On the tracks is where the magic happens. Jockeys and horses are put through their pace or trackwork over the weeks, to train for the approaching big race. Each horse has an individualised training programme, planned by the trainers and includes barrier trails to ascertain its readiness for the races. All eyes are trained on the hot favourites for Kranji Mile, some of whom have not won a race in front of spectators due to the pandemic.
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Ensuring a fair and safe start right out the barrier gates is a critical race component, managed by a team of race starters and barrier attendants, who have the second most dangerous job after jockeys in the industry.
Equally critical is ensuring racing integrity and discipline on the tracks; the job of the stipendiary stewards of the Club. They have one of the toughest jobs in the world, policing the races and dealing out disciplinary action when required to ensure a fair race and minimise incidents on the tracks so jockeys can go home safe and sound at the end of a race day.
At the nerve centre of all racing action is the Weighing Room, overseen by the clerk of scales. The centre gets its name from the jockey’s weighing out and in for races, to ensure they are within their acceptable weight range for their race, which could otherwise impact fairness and affect race results.
Jockeys weighing out before the start of their race
Beyond the teams directly involved in running Kranji Mile, a flurry of activities is taking place in anticipation of the spectator turnout. Prioritising the safety and well-being of our guests, regular cleaning and disinfecting of the Club’s premises continue like clockwork. Enhancements have been made to directional maps and signages for ease of wayfinding.
If you are joining us for Kranji Mile, we have stepped up our security arrangements and safe management officers will be deployed to keep you safe. Gentle reminder to do your SafeEntry check-in which remains a requirement for large-scale events of at least 500 attendees and to keep your mask on when indoors.
Enquire now if you would like to find out more about our hospitality packages for Kranji Mile, which will be served exclusively at the Trophy Lounge where you can relish in great dining while enjoying a commanding view of all the action on our world-class racetracks.
We are ready for Kranji Mile and we will be there; will you?
May 2022