Penang Turf Club to close on May 31
PENANG Seven months after the Singapore Turf Club staged its last meeting on Oct 5, another club on the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) is poised to gallop into the sunset - the Penang Turf Club (PNTC).
At an extraordinary meeting held on April 20, ordinary members of Malaysia's oldest club voted to close by an overwhelming majority - 318 out of 320, according to The Star.
With the resolutions to dissolve passed on June 10, 2024 now confirmed, only two clubs will remain on the MRA, the Selangor Turf Club (SLTC) and Perak Turf Club (PRTC).
Talks of cessation of PNTC's racing activities have long circulated amid dwindling attendances and financial loss. As of today, only two trainers - Bonny Ng and Arumugam Palani - are left, with two horses each.
In 2024, only 11 race meetings were held, made possible by mostly horses from Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.
When the sale of the 161-year-old club's property closed without any qualified bids in December, it only extended the borrowed time they were on.
This year, two meetings in January and February were cancelled due to insufficient numbers of runners.
From a total of 14 meetings scheduled for 2025, it would now come down to only four should the date of May 31 for its last meeting be confirmed.
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