Ibarra eyes repeat in Gold Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Can Ibarra make a golden double in this Sunday’s of the PCSO Presidential Gold Cup at the San Lazaro Leisure Park?

This will be answered this Sunday when the 37th edition of the local horseracing’s blue-ribbon event fires off with total prizes amounting to P3.375-million at stake.

The prized galloper of Mandaluyong mayor Benhur Abalos tries to duplicate the back-to-back feat of four other horses in the history of the annual event.

The official runners in this 2,000-meter race are: Sword O’War – John Alvin Guce 55; Ibarra – Kelvin Abobo 57.5; Dream Supreme – John Cordero 54.5; Shining Fame – Jesse Guce 55; Dumadagundong – Louie Balboa 55; and Don Enrico – Fernando Raquel Jr. 55.

The winner will be going home with the top prize of P1.5-million but the Philippine Racing Commission has put up another P1-million for the winner. This resulted to a whopping P2.5-million for the lucky owner of the champion horse.

The runner-up picks up P500,000 while the third and fourth placers get P250,000 and P125,000, respectively. The breeder of the winning horse will also receive a P50,000 bonus.

 “The Presidential Gold Cup is the most distinguished race in the local racing calendar. It is but proper that we give an added importance and incentive to the winner of this blue-ribbon event. We would also like to thank the PCSO for its continued support of the Philippine horseracing industry through the sponsorship of this major event,” said Philracom chief Jose Ferdinand Rojas II.

The other four back-to-back winners were: Fair N’Square in 1981-1982; Sun Dancer in 1989-1990; Bulldozer in 1996-1997; and Wind Blown in 2000-2001.