The explosive racing festival, dubbed the fifth San Miguel Beer - MARHO Breeders’ Cup, is expected to set record sales with balanced rosters of competitors in each division. On tap are five championship races featuring the cream of the crop.
MARHO chief and noted sportsman Aristeo "Putch" Puyat officially announced the launching of the keenly-awaited event yesterday during the formal signing of San Miguel Beer’s sponsorship at the Manila Diamond Hotel.
San Miguel Beer was represented by San Miguel Corp.’s senior vice president for corporate affairs Alberto Manlapit.
"San Miguel Beer is truly honored to be a part of this highly-prestigious horse racing event, which we have supported over the past three years and will continue to support," said Manlapit.
As frontrunner of the highly-successful futurity incentive scheme, this year’s SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup brings to fore the celebrated graduates of the Marho Breeders’ Cup program for the past five years, the cream of their respective foals crops who are all eyeing a shot at the coveted championship crown.
Over the past years, the Marho Breeders’ Cup has gained prominence as the cornerstone of local racing’s championship program, which includes the prestigious Triple Crown Series and the Presidential Gold Cup.
Sandy Javier, one of the event’s original prime movers, regards the Marho Breeders’ Cup as a timely response to the need to provide greater incentives to our local horse breeders.
"Inspite of being only five years old, the Marho Breeders’ Cup is now considered as an institution in local racing as it assumes the important role of providing the much-needed incentives to our local horse breeders to further improve their breed and enhance the quality of competition in our tracks," said Javier.
Lined up for the two-day racing festival are the SMB-Marho Beeders’ Cup Juvenile for 2-year-old colt; the SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies for 2-year-old fillies; the SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup Colts for 3-year-old colts; the SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup Fillies for 3-year-old fillies; the SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup Classic for older horses and the new SMB-Marho Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which is open for all nominated horses regardless of age or sex.
The original five (5) championship races would each be carrying a total prize pot of P1-million, while the new Sprint Championship stakes a total purse of P600,000. Spicing up the two-day event are special handicap races carrying big added prizes and special bonuses.