KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The Penang Turf Club and the Selangor Turf Club will organise a concurrent race day on July 19, the first of its kind here.

In a statement, the Selangor Turf Club said the event was planned after the cancellation of scheduled Singapore Turf Club races.

It added that both clubs also planned to bring a galore of racing entertainment event to fans, after a four-month hiatus due to Covid-19.

"Concurrent races from racing clubs in the same country is nothing new in the world of horse racing. Prominent racing clubs around the world, such as in Japan and Korea hold concurrent races on the same day, whereby races are scheduled to run on the same afternoon and live telecast to other centres and clubs around the world.

"Emulating the same concurrent racing system practised around the world, both the Penang Turf Club and the Selangor Turf Club, promise to present a great treat to racing fans this Sunday, providing them with an opportunity to view a total of 18 local races in a day, a card of eight races from the Penang Turf Club, and a card of 10 races from the Selangor Turf Club. The first race in Selangor would begin at 1.15pm, while the first race in Penang would commence at 2pm,” Selangor Turf Club chairman Tan Sri Richard Cham Hak Lim said in a statement.

He added that equestrian racing fans could also look forward to an entertaining and competitive racing event, as 11 races from Australia and six races from the Macau Jockey Club would also be telecast live.

Cham said that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has permitted the resumption of horse racing in Malaysia, but advised patrons to don face masks and practise social distancing when visiting the courses.

"The club has taken serious measures in meeting with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government, to ensure a safer environment for everyone attending the races,” Cham added.