SELANGOR TULF CLUB TOKEN

The Selangor Turf Club Token.
The Selangor Turf Club traces its humble beginning in 1800s to the efforts of a group of amateur racing enthusiasts with the founding of the Selangor Gymkhana Club. In 1896 under the patronage of British Resident Sir Frank Swettenham, the Selangor Turf Club was founded as a result of the re-organisation of the Selangor Gymkhana Club. The first race meeting took place in March 1896. For over a century, horse racing was primarily a lavish pastime of the rich and famous in Kuala Lumpur and the Selangor Turf Club was the place to meet and to be seen.

History of the Selangor Turf Club (SLTC) at a canter:
•Early 1890s: The British Resident, Sir William Maxwell, started amateur racing in Selangor.

•1896: SLTC was established. Sir Frank Swettenham, the new British Resident, was its first President. Membership stood at a grand 110.

•March 1896: SLTC hosted its first race meeting. Seven races each day for two days, not necessarily weekends. The A$1,000 Miner's Purse was the feature race. It has a field of two.
•1906: Membership grew to 300.

•1939: SLTC introduced The Selangor Gold Cup, forerunner of the Tunku Gold Cup. The Chairman reported a profit of $30,400.

•1952: Raceday attendance exceeded an average of 14,000. Turnover exceeded $70 million.
•1954: Radio broadcasts of race proceedings began.

•1956: A $1million grandstand replaced the 'dear old attap shed'. Attap is the Malay word for palm frond.

•1957: The 'Great Floods' prevented visiting horses from reach by Club by land. Ferries were used to bring them in.
•1959: SLTC hosted the inaugural The Yang DiPertuan Agong Gold Cup (now re-named the Selangor Gold Cup).

•1960: Sunday racing replaced Wednesday races.

•1961: Punting at the SLTC and the other turf clubs in the MRA circuit was formalised and regulated by the Racing Act.
•1962: A fire bnroke out at the Griffin Inn located in the Club. No one was injured. Some horses broke loose and were only rounded up the following day.

•1968: The Selangor Gold Cup was renamed the Tunku Gold Cup in honour of Tunku Andul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the country's first prime minister.

•1976: SLTC's totalisator was conputerised.
•1980: The Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (Sultan Of Selangor Gold Cup) was introduced to commemorate the birthday of His Royal Highness The Sultan Of Selangor. This Class 1, 1,600-metre race pioneered the 'weight-for-age' system of handicapping.

•1981: A new computerised sell-pay system was launched.

•1982: Computerised telephone betting was launched, replacing the manual system.
•1983: Closed circuit television coverage began, linking all the turf clubs in the MRA circuit.

•1985: SLTC opened its Sungei Besi Off-Course Centre.

•1987: The installation of a central computer system linked SLTC to the Penang and Perak turf clubs.
•1988: The Club bought 255 acres of disused mining land in Sungei Besi for its relocation.

•October 1989: SLTC hosted the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Cup to commemorate the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Malaysia and the Club.

•June 1980: Work began on the Club's new premises - The SLTC Equestrian and Sports Centre, Sungei Besi.
•November 1991: Laying of tracks began.

•August 1992: The last race was run at the Jalan Ampang racecourse.

•October 1993: The first race was run at the SLTC Equestrain and Sports Centre. The winner was Spark Plug.
 •April 3, 1994: The official opening of the SLTC Equestrian and Sports Centre.

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