HISTORY OF RSTC

Founded more than a century ago in 1908, Royal Sabah Turf Club has a rich and illustrious history in horse racing. Then known as Jesselton Turf Club, the first ever Race Meeting was held in North Borneo. Regular race meetings continued throughout World War I right till the Great Depression of the 1930s.

After the British North Borneo Herald reported ‘Blenheim’ had won the prestigious English Derby at Epsom in 1930, the British government officers, Europeans and locals got together to form the Jesselton Gymkhana Club. Amateur Races and Gymkhana Meetings were organized two to three times a year to keep the Sport of Kings alive for some relief and leisure for the people throughout the depression years.

The Spring Meeting on 15th March 1930 had an exciting card of nine races for ‘native’ bred Ponies that raced over distances of four furlongs to one mile (800 metres to 1600 metres), and carrying weights from 7 to 10 stones (43kg to 64kg). The totalisator showed a princely sum of 750 pounds in profit for the Meeting, placing the Club in a good position for the future.

The Spring Meeting of 12th April 1941 was held in the midst of a very long drought season in North Borneo. The races were run over three, four, five and six furlongs (600, 800, 1000 and 1200 metres). With strong totalisator takings at this Meeting, 1,000 pounds was donated by the Club for the War Relief Fund.

After the Second World War, various “urban” centres such as Jesselton, Sandakan etc, experienced population growth in the late 40s and into the 50s. Regular horse-racing meetings were organised for new as well as revitalised racing fans. The Club was then known as the North Borneo Turf Club. It was later to be renamed to Royal Sabah Turf Club as we know it today.

It is understood the Malaysian Prime Minister at that time, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was a very keen sportsman and had a passion for Horse Racing – the ‘Sport of Kings’. Tunku Abdul Rahman was known to have attended the races in Sabah. It has been mentioned that in early March 1965 during the visit of HRH Duke of Edinburgh, and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu), the North Borneo Turf Club was renamed The Royal Sabah Turf Club.

In November 1952, a new Grandstand was built to accommodate new Full Members and Ordinary Members, with applicable annual membership fees. The North Borneo News regularly placed full page advertisements for race meetings. Racing was back in full swing!

Back then, Racing was confined to Borneo Ponies up to 14 hands. The reasoning behind this was to increase the local Pony population. However, the Government was instrumental in the importation of the Australian Whaler Stallions to improve the local breed. Pony Racing is held amongst all the communities in Sabah. Today, the Club organizes races on weekends for Ponies, Ponies of mixed breeds, and Thoroughbred horses that are handicapped to participate in races over 1000M, 1100M, 1600M and 1800M.