Being at the Singapore Turf Club brought back memories for Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) 2016 top-five finalist Joeypink Lai.
“I remembered my grandmother bringing my brother and I here when we were little,” she said.
“I don’t remember much though… I was seven or eight then.”
“All I remembered was our helper looking after us while we entertained ourselves,” she added with a laugh.
Lai, 24, and four other MUS 2016 finalists – winner Cheryl Chou, second runner-up Sonya Branson and finalists Nikki Tay and Shanice Hedger – made a guest appearance at the Singapore Turf Club for the Dester Singapore Gold Cup yesterday.
Lai, who clinched the title of Turf Belle 2016 at the MUS pageant last month, added: “It was my first time experiencing an event like this, and it was so fun.
“I learnt how to bet on the different horses, and that made it even more thrilling.”
For the rest of the ladies, the race event was also a first.
“I’d never been to anything like that before,” Chou, 20, said.
RICHEST RACE
“When I first walked in, I was a bit lost about what was going on. But it didn’t take long before I understood how it worked.
“It was such a privilege to be a part of an event with such a long and rich history.”
The Singapore Gold Cup is the richest race on the Singapore domestic racing calendar and dates back to 1924.
Branson, 25, said: “It was my first time at the races, and I was surprised by how exciting it was.
“People were screaming and jumping up and down as their horses won, especially for the final race.
“I wish I had placed a bet.”
This article was first published on November 21, 2016.
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