Ibarra, Don Enrico duel in Gold Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Defending titlist Ibarra and multi-titled Don Enrico go at each other for the fourth time in the season about to end, this time to compete in the 37th staging of the Presidential Gold Cup on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The two champion gallopers will meet four others – Dream Supreme, Sword O’War, Dumadagundong and Shining Fame – in the 2000-meter, P2.35 million event considered as the biggest, most prestigious in the local racing calendar.

The record stands at 2-1 in favor of Don Enrico, the hottest runner in town at the moment who comes off a scintillating victory last week in the MARHO Breeders’ Cup Classic for his eighth stakes title in the year.

Because of that winning streak, Don Enrico, son of local runner Wind Blown out of Australian mare Kayumanggi, will set out as solid choice for the top prize of P1.5 million put up by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office headed by chairman Sergio Valencia.

Ibarra, who returned from a leg injury to win two big stakes races including the Gold Cup last year, goes into the battle smarting from a loss in the recent Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Cup.

In that race won by longshot Fierce Fighter, Ibarra came in a badly-beaten third under Kelvin Abobo, his title-retention bid evaporating as he lost steam going into the last 100 meters of the 2000-meter run.

Veteran Fernando Racquel will be on the saddle when Don Enrico goes for his second stakes win in 14 days and ninth overall in a fruitful campaign that’s expected to easily net him the horse of the year award.

Don Enrico beat Ibarra in the First Gentleman Cup and Garnet Stakes 2 while Ibarra, whose first claim to fame came in 2007 when he won two legs of the Triple Crown, turned the tables on Don Enrico in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Dream Supreme is also expected to figure well in the event that counts great horses like Fair And Square, Skywalker, Wind Blown and Sun Dancer among its winners.

Like Don Enrico, Dream Supreme won in the MARHO Breeders Cup. He topped the Colts race for three-year-olds, besting seven others to clinch the top prize of P500,000.         

The lineup:

1.Sword O’War, John Alvin Guce, 55 kilograms; 2. Ibarra, Kelvin Abobo, 57.5 kgs.; 3. Dream Supreme, John Cordero, 54.5 kgs; 4. Shining Fame, Jesse Guce, 55 kgs; 5. Dumadagundong, Louie Balboa, 55 kgs; 6. Don Enrico, Fernando Racquel, Jr, 55 kgs.