Prizemoney increase in Malaysia

Selangor Turf Club. Photo: Supplied

Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia, a regular purchaser of New Zealand bred and sourced horses, have announced a prizemoney increase across all race classes in 2024.

The ’life blood’ of horse racing is the prize money offered to its winning owners. It is simply the reward for investing in a thoroughbred.

Selangor Turf Club (SLTC) has worked relentlessly since the pre-pandemic years in order to improve the prospects of the thoroughbred racing industry. However, the Covid-19 outbreak dealt a devastating blow to the industry and the world at large. There is no better moment than now to evaluate and adjust our strategy in response to the rapidly changing industry landscape. SLTC intends to implement a number of new measures which it hopes will boost the country’s racing industry and propel the Club forward as a significant player in the region.

SLTC will soon embark on managing and operating its own wagering system. This is expected to provide SLTC with the opportunity of increasing its racing turnover. With greater turnover, the Club will enjoy an increase in income which may be channeled back in terms of higher prize money in the future.

By improving the prize money structure, owners will be encouraged to invest in the sport. It will also make it more viable for owners to import better quality horses and to race them in SLTC. There is also a positive feedback loop as quality racehorses attract greater following among racing enthusiasts. This in turn translates to higher betting turnover. In addition, an increase in the number of horses in training will be a boost to our trainers.

The Committee is cognizant that a Racing jurisdiction is judged on many levels. One significant criteria is the classic races which are held in that jurisdiction. The SLTC Committee is striving to ensure that Selangor’s best races are admitted into the International Cataloguing Standards and International Statistics (Blue Book) through attaining an accepted Group, Listed or Black Type accreditation. In order to achieve this long-term goal, the prize money on offer needs to reach a certain level or at the very least, be on an upward trajectory.

Consistent with this aim, SLTC is pleased to announce that effective from 1st January 2024, the prize money for its races will be increased as follows :

In order to promote a series of races for younger horses, the Club is working with various international bloodstock companies such as New Zealand Bloodstock and Magic Millions to re-establish the Juvenile 3YO and 4YO Series. From 2024 and onwards, more black type races will be added to the current list of Black type races. There will be an average of one Black type race per month in the 2024 MRA racing calendar. It is hoped that this will enhance the line-up of events for the 3 Malaysia Turf Clubs.

Towards this objective, SLTC is pleased to announce the following additional Black type races*:

Horse racing has existed in Malaysia for over 130 years. SLTC believes with the implementation of its plans, the industry will be in a position to sustain itself and thrive in the years to come.