Race Course Road, Singapore

Race Course Road, Singapore (26 July 2017)

Race Course Road is a road in Farrer Park, in the Rochor Planning Area of Singapore. It is just north of Singapore's Little India, and carries some spillover from that neighbourhood.

In its present incarnation, Race Course Road has been fragmented into two parts. The southern part of the road connects Bukit Timah Road in the south to Tessensohn Road, at the intersection with Rangoon Road, in the north. In between, it forms junctions with Kerbau Road, Tekka Lane, Hampshire Road, Rotan Lane, Race Course Lane, Kinta Road, Roberts Lane, Gloucester Road and Birch Road.

The northern portion of Race Course Road connects Rangoon Road to Balestier Road, and is intersected by Perumal Road.

As would be expected, Race Course Road got its name because there was once a race course in the area. That race course area, which is occupied today by Farrer Park, was established earlier than 1824, because according to Singapore Street Names¹, that was the year it was renamed as Singapore Turf Club. It left that area a long time ago - it moved to Bukit Timah in 1935. The area was then occupied by the Singapore Golf Club, but it too moved to Bukit Timah, becoming the Race Course Golf Club.

Race Course Road was known in Hokkien as Phau1 Bae1 Por3 Hang33 跑馬埔巷

, meaning "race course lane". In 1951, the road was almost renamed, to Princess Elizabeth Avenue, after the Princess Elizabeth flats facing it, considering the race course was no longer in the area. However, Municipal President T.P.F. McNiece decided that the original name be retained for its historical reminder of the race course that was once in that area.