The origins of horse racing in Perak can be traced back to 1886 when the first horse race meeting was held in Taiping, then the state capital and oldest town in the country.

Owing to its rapid economic growth and development, Ipoh soon became the racing centre of Perak when the Perak Turf Club was formed in 1926 and moved into its present site, right in the heart of the city.

The race course of the Perak Turf Club was the cradle of racing in Peninsular Malaysia, and Perak Turf Club is now the custodian of horse racing in the Silver State of Perak.