The Emirates Singapore Derby, with a S$1.15 million prize money, makes the final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old challenge, the second richest domestic race behind the Singapore Gold Cup.
SINGAPORE – Combining fashion with sport, racegoers turned up in their Derby best for the 22nd Emirates Singapore Derby at the Singapore Turf Club, a time-honoured classic run on Singapore’s horse-racing racing calendar.
Emirates celebrates its 22nd year of partnership with the Singapore Turf Club, the airline’s longest-standing in its history of sports sponsorships, alongside that of Collingwood FC.
The Emirates Singapore Derby, with a S$1.15 million prize money, makes the final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old challenge, the second richest domestic race behind the Singapore Gold Cup.
In a showcase of sporting excellence and speed, jockey Manoel Nunes steered his horse, Infantry, to victory at the Kranji Racecourse, crossing the line in 2:02.29, with Lim’s Samurai and Nova Strike in second and third place respectively.
Indoors, guests wined and dined with a sumptuous international buffet spread with the best trackside views of the race from the viewing gallery at the Emirates Hospitality Suite. They were kept on the edge of their seats as they watched all eleven races in real-time, each named after destinations on Emirates’ extensive global network.
Nine lucky winners also walked away with Emirates’ First Class amenity kits as part of Emirates’ Pick 11 competition, while two lucky guests, one who correctly picked the winning horse for this year’s Emirates Singapore Derby (Race 9), and the second who picked the winner in the final race, took home an exclusive Chopard watch.
“Our partnership with the Singapore Turf Club is one of the longest-standing in Emirates’ sports sponsorships. These partnerships reiterate Emirates’ commitment to provide our valued customers in Singapore the platform to pursue their sporting passion. We are heartened that over the past two decades, the annual race has grown in stature and reputation to become one of Singapore’s most iconic premium horse racing events, providing fans a memorable and thrilling live sporting experience,” said Mr. Andrew Bunn, Emirates Country Manager for Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia.
“It has been a wonderful 22 years of partnership with Emirates as our title sponsor for the Singapore Derby, the pinnacle race for our Four-Year-Old horses each racing season. We are thrilled to see the racecourse grounds decked out in Emirates red and our guests sportingly dressed to the nines on this much anticipated race day. The heart thumping finish of the Emirates Singapore Derby race was a fitting climax to an afternoon that started with excellent hospitality and glamour. It has been a wonderful social outing, and an excellent demonstration of the exciting sport of horse racing at Kranji today,” said Chong Boo Ching, CEO of Singapore Turf Club.
Aside from the thrilling racetrack action, fashion and style dominated the Emirates Hospitality suite as racegoers turned up in a riot of colorful hats and snazzy suits.
Keeping a close eye on guests’ stylish outfits were Ms Daphne Chen-Cordeiro, Managing Editor and Digital Content Director of Singapore Tatler, and fashion stylist Ms Sharon B Tan, who formed the judging panel for the annual Best Dressed to the Races contest.
This year’s winner, Tanya Ghahraman, stood out from the crowd in a fantastic display of style to clinch the highly coveted title of “Best Dressed to the Races“, winning herself a pair of business class tickets to Melbourne with accommodation and parade lounge passes to catch the Melbourne Cup later this year.
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