Go Army reigns in Marho Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Outstanding favorite Go Army easily seized the lead turning for home and won pulling away under veteran Jonathan Hernandez yesterday in the 15th San Miguel Beer-Marho Cup Classic to cap a rewarding afternoon for his stable at the Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite.

The comebacking four-year-old Go Army overtook the fast-fading Heaven Sent with 300 meters to go in the 2,000-m event and came home about six lengths ahead of runnerup Native Land with a time of two minutes and 10.4 seconds.

Go Army, a progeny of Mr. Sutter out of J’Approve who went undefeated as a juvenile in 2008, won the top prize of P1 million for owner Hermie Esguerra as he returned to the big stage in grand style after a long rest because of a leg injury.

It was a big day for the vast Esguerra stable, which also struck earlier in the day through the Dimasalang in the Philracom-Juvenile Fillies and Gastambide in the SMB Colt Mile.

Dimasalang won as top favorite also under Hernandez in the 1,600-m Juvenile Fillies, beating seven other two-year-olds and taking the top prize of P500,000. He clocked 1:46 seconds.

Five races later, Gastambide, masterfully ridden by John Paul Guce, struck in the Colt Mile, beating outstanding pick and horse of the year contender Yes Pogi and two others in a startling reversal with a time of 1:43.5.

Like Dimasalang, Gastambide bagged P500,000.

Redemption captured the PCSO Filly Mile in 1:45.5, Barkley topped the 1,600-m Juvenile Colt in 1:45 and veteran EJ’s Magic took the 1,000-m Sprint title for the third straight year under Fernando Racquel to round out the winners in the six highlight races that climaxed the racing festival organized by Marho and backed by PCSO and Philracom.

Jesse Guce both handled Redemption and Barkley for the Mandaluyong Mayor Ben Abalos stable as he wound up with two stakes victories for the afternoon like Hernandez.

Selling P626,128 out of the total double pool of P1,139,834, Go Army and Hernandez let the RG Fernandez-ridden Heaven Sent set the pace from the start before making their move with 600 meters remaining in the night race.

As the field was about to enter the last turn, Go Army moved within a meter off Heaven Sent before taking the lead for good with about 200 meters left and soloing it home for his first major win in the season about to end.

Heaven Sent, winner of the first and third legs of the 2009 Triple Crown, settled for third spot while Defiant, skippered by Jeff Zarate, came in fourth in the seven-horse event.

“Three of four? Definitely a good score,”said Esguerra, whose stable which sent entries in four stakes races and suffered its only defeat in the Sprint when top choice Eternal Flame came in only fourth out of five starters.