Hi, my name is Kristina and I’m a complete horse-racing newbie.

This means that all I’d known about races prior to spending a day at the Singapore Turf Club in Kranji on Sunday was that it involved some horses, a few gentlemen and socialites – and big hats.

To some extent, that was true. Attending the annual $350,000 Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Cup, I had the privilege of being invited to the private Committee Box.

There, businessmen and socialites – who were dressed as though they’d stepped out of Harper’s Bazaar magazine – had bought donation tables.

The event was organised by the Tsao Foundation – a non-profit organisation dedicated to the care of the elderly and ageing issues – with the support of the Turf Club. It raised $500,000 for the Hua Mei Mobile Clinic, which provides geriatric medical and social care.

I hadn’t known that, since 2004, the club has been lending major races, such as the QEII Cup, to charitable organisations to raise funds for the underprivileged.

That made me feel better about thinking of placing a few modest bets, knowing that some money would go to charity.

But, back to racing.

Now, my boyfriend – arts-education manager Kok Tse Wei, 28, who I’d taken along with me – and I were a little overwhelmed by the wealth of information available – from the charts of betting suggestions to overhead screens with real-time race information.

A kind man at our table explained that, according to the rule of first-timers’ luck, we couldn’t go wrong. With that, we felt emboldened to place a few timid bets.

When a bell went for the jockeys to mount up sounded, we made our way to the open-air grandstand. (Members of the public, by the way, can attend the races at various grandstands – one air-conditioned and one outdoors – as well as
the Hibiscus Room, which is open to casual racegoers.)

Away from the lush Committee Box, we got a taste of the “real” horse-racing world. Among the thousands of racing fans were the typical male punters dressed in what one might call “coffee-shop chic”.

They emitted deep yells – fondly referred to as the Kranji Roar – that swelled as horses crossed the finish line.

Yet, funnily, those weren’t so different from the socialites’ squeals I’d heard in the Committee Box upstairs.

Everyone, it seems, loves a good race.

The Cup race itself was short, with a close finish. No. 5, a horse named Restored, clinched the Cup with a dramatic finish and I wished I had thought to bet on this spirited animal.

And then my first day at the races was over, with not a single dollar won, but it was still a terrifically-fun ride.

I wonder what the next big race – the Singapore Airlines International Cup on May 17 – will be like. I’m certainly keen to go and check it out.

The writer is a Chinese-American freelance writer and former Straits Times journalist based in Singapore. For more information on the Singapore Turf Club, visit www.turfclub.com.sg

The next big race

Want to catch the next big race? Check out the Singapore Airlines International Cup and KrisFlyer International Sprint on Sunday, May 17, at the Singapore Racecourse (1, Turf Club Avenue).

The events are the finale of the Singapore International Racing Festival 2009, which runs from Sunday to May 17.

Catch the launch of the festival on Sunday at Junction 8 Atrium Level 2, where 2m-high Fashionista Horseshoes will be unveiled. Vote for your favourite horseshoe and win attractive prizes.

On Cup day, a Party@The Lawn package is available at $95 per person. The cost includes admission to a special marquee, a light tea and dinner.

Admission to public areas is $3 (open-air) and $7 (air-conditioned). Call 6879-1000 or visit www.turfclub.com.sg