Perak Gold Vase Race
The Perak Gold Vase Race (“Gold Vase”) is one of the feature races of Perak Turf Club (“the Club”). The race was inaugurated in 1950.
The Gold Vase is unique for it is the only classic run over a straight course. Since 1952, the Gold Vase has been run every year over a distance of 1,100 metres. It is noteworthy that of all the MRA member turf clubs, only PRTC has such a long straight course to stage a full 1,100-metre sprint race of this nature.
Traditionally, the Gold Vase was always held during the November Race Meeting but from 2011 onwards, the running of the Gold Vase was rescheduled to the June/July Race Meeting to provide for a balanced spread of the Club’s feature races over its annual racing calendar.
Racing fans often held that the Gold Vase, being a straight-course sprint event, is considered the most open classic race contest among all the Malaysian classic races. On this reasoning, any eligible horse that takes part in this race has an equal chance to win, regardless of what the form book says or whom it favours.
Yet, this view was treated to a strong dose of incredulity when the magnificent Labu-Labu, trained by the exacting trainer, Simon Liew, won 3 years in a row from 2002 to 2004. This feat remains unrivaled to this day.
Perak Derby
According to the Club’s chronicles, the running of the Perak Derby was first recorded in1950.
The Perak Derby was always run over a distance of 2,400 metres and was indisputably the most grueling classic race on the entire MRA racing circuit.
In the words of a racing pundit, “horses need to have buckets of energy and stamina in order to compete in this mile-and-a-half distance event.” And this is profoundly true as racing conditions under the hot tropical sun in Malaysia makes this race an even more daunting challenge.
Over the years, the number of horses able to competitively hold their own in such a long distance race gradually experienced a marked decline. Hence, it was no surprise that in 2024 the Club, acceding to the fervent wishes of the racing fraternity, reduced the race distance of the Perak Derby to a less demanding run of 2,000 metres to draw bigger fields.
In the Club’s history, only 2 horses managed to secure their place as Triple Winners in the Club’s Winners Hall of Fame:
- Opposing Force won the Perak Derby with back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002 when trained by Trainer Bonny Ng, and again in 2005 under Trainer K.C. Tiang.
- Littlebitofjoy also nailed down its place in the racing history books by triumphing in the Perak Derby in 2013 and 2015, under the training charge of the flamboyant Trainer Edylyn Goh, and once again in 2016 under the training charge of ex-jockey turned trainer, Ismadi Ismail.
Charity Cup
Apart from horse racing and wagering, one of the Club’s key objects is to contribute to charitable, social and welfare purposes in its home state of Perak.
Tan Sri David Jeyaratnam, who was the club’s chairman from 1982 to 2017, was a man who devoted his time passionately to numerous charitable causes, deservedly earning the affectionate moniker of Mr. Charity.
Under his chairmanship, the Club as a caring corporate citizen started making generous donations every year to many deserving charitable homes and community welfare organizations for their noble work in helping and caring for the under-privileged and needy. The Club has faithfully continued his good work to this day.
The Club inaugurated the running of the Charity Cup in 1998, after which it became a yearly feature race on the Club’s racing calendar. The Charity Cup is held to mark and honour the Club’s tradition and continuing commitment to support charitable causes.
In conjunction with the Charity Cup, a ceremony is also held whereby the representatives of various charitable homes and community welfare organizations will receive their donation cheques and be feted by the Club for their noble work.
In 2012, Beautiful Choice was the first locally-bred horse (from the National Stud Farm) to win the Charity Cup under local veteran Trainer K F Wong.
Coronation Cup
The Club inaugurated the running of the Coronation Cup in 1985 to commemorate the ascension of Sultan Azlan Shah to the throne of Perak.
The legendary Trainer Ivan Allan saddled his stable horse, Big Chief, to win the inaugural classic feature race, very much to the delight of the racing fans who were inspired by the horse’s name to place a wager on it for the big occasion.
This classic feature race is traditionally run in the month of November, coinciding with the Club’s biggest race meeting of the year. The race carries a distance of 1,600 metres and attracts big competitive fields every year, and has deservedly been marked as the top classic feature race of the Club.
Some interesting highlights in the Coronation Cup chronicles:
- Since its inception, only 3 horses have made it to the double-winners Hall of Fame:
– Confluence in 2002 and 2003, trained by Trainer Francis Nathan
– Golden Ace in 2005 and 2006, trained by Trainer Prakhash Pereira
– Speed Baby in 2010 and 2012, trained by Trainer Kevin Coetzee - In 2000, jockey Catherine Treymane won on Ballistic, trained by Trainer Tan Soo Beng, and earned the distinction of being the first and only female jockey to triumph in this classic feature race.