The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment in Thoroughbred racing. The term originated in mid-19th-century England and nations where Thoroughbred racing is popular each have their own Triple Crown series.
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Bukit Timah, often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Central Business District, bordering the Central Water Catchment to the north, Bukit Panjang to the northwest, Queenstown to the south, Tanglin to the southeast, Clementi to the southwest, Novena to the east and Bukit Batok to the west.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the summer meeting at Saratoga. The past winners of the Gold Cup are a veritable who's who of award-winning Hall of Fame horses, including Easy Goer, Man o' War, Cigar, Skip Away, Curlin, Slew o' Gold, John Henry, Affirmed, Forego, Shuvee, Damascus, Buckpasser, Kelso, Sword Dancer, Nashua, Citation, Whirlaway and War Admiral. Despite the current $1,250,000 purse and Grade 1 status, the stature of the race has suffered somewhat in recent years thanks to the emergence of the Breeders' Cup Classic held not long afterward, as well as a change in distance to 1+1⁄4 miles in 1990, reducing its distinctiveness.
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December.
The Dubai Turf, known as Dubai Duty Free 1996 to 2014. is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night in March.
The Singapore Airlines International Cup was a Group 1 flat horse race in Singapore open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It was run at Kranji over a distance of 2,000 metres, in May each year. It has been discontinued to run from 2016 onwards.
The Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1988 as the Bukit Turf Club to manage horse racing for the Singapore Totaliser Board. It is the only horse-racing club in Singapore and is part of the Malayan Racing Association.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April at a distance of 2,000 metres on turf. Prior to 1997 it was run at 2,200 metres. Sponsored by Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet since 1999, it currently offers a purse of HK$20 million (US$2.6 million)since 2014/15.
The Hong Kong Gold Cup is a Group One Hong Kong Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1979 at Sha Tin Racecourse. It is open to horses three years of age and older. Run on turf, it was initially run over a distance of 1,800 metres, but is now set at 2,000 metres and it offers a purse of HK$12,000,000.
Ian Balding is a British retired horse trainer. He is the son of the polo player and racehorse trainer Gerald Matthews Balding and the younger brother of trainer Toby Balding. Ian Balding was born in the US, but his family returned to the UK in 1945. He was educated at Marlborough College and Millfield school in Somerset. He went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1959 to read Rural Estate Management, where he played Rugby for the university team, gaining his Blue in 1961 at full back. He started training in 1964. Kingsclere became his home at the age of 26 and it is here that earned his reputation as an internationally respected trainer.
The Bukit Timah Race Course was a venue for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Bukit Timah area of Singapore. Built by the Bukit Timah Turf Club, it was opened on 15 April 1933 by the Sathyawathy Governor of Singapore. There was no racing from 1941 through 1946 as a result of World War II.
The Singapore Derby is a thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid July at the Singapore Turf Club. Contested on turf over a left-handed course, the domestic Group 1 race is run over a distance 1,800 metres and is open to four-year-old horses only.
The Kranji Mile is a thoroughbred horse race held annually in May at Singapore Turf Club. The race was first introduced in 2000. Contested on turf over a left-handed course, the domestic Group 1 race is run over a distance 1,600 metres and is open to horses age three and older. In 2018, it was revamped as an invitational race but since 2020, has been open to local runners only due to races being conducted behind closed doors.
The Raffles Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore. Contested on turf over a left-handed course, the domestic Group One race is open to horses age three and older.
The Singapore Racecourse/ Singapore Turf Club is a venue for thoroughbred horse racing, situated in Kranji, next to the Kranji MRT station. Built and operated by the Singapore Turf Club, it opened on 4 March 2000, replacing the Bukit Timah Race Course.
The KrisFlyer International Sprint is a former Thoroughbred horse race held at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore. Contested on turf over a left-handed course, the International Group 1 sprint race was run over a distance of 1200 meters and was open to horses aged three and older. It offered a purse of S$1,000,000. The race was discontinued in 2015.
Garnet Bougoure was an Australian jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who was highly successful competing in South-East Asia and in Europe.
The Singapore Turf Club was founded in 1842 as the Singapore Sporting Club to operate the Serangoon Road Race Course at Farrer Park Field. It was the only horse-racing club in Singapore and is part of the Malayan Racing Association. The first race was held on 23 February 1843 with a prize money of $150. The club closed in 1988 after the Singapore Totaliser Board formed the Bukit Turf Club (BTC) to take over all racing activities.
