5th Bagatsing Cup eyes record sales

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila Jockey Club, Inc. (MJCI) hopes to surpass last year’s previous gross sales weekend record of P39 million when it hosts the 5th Mayor Ramon Bagatsing Memorial Cup on Aug. 18 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

“We made P35 million in 2011 and then P39 million in sales last year so it is always a pleasure to host this prestigious horseracing event in honor of the late Manila Mayor Ramon Bagatsing,” said MJCI marketing manager Nathan Mazo in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Atty. Ramon Bagatsing Jr., who joined Mazo and MJCI marketing officer Cecile Villanueva in the session sponsored by Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp., cited his late father’s passion for horses and the small workers in the horseracing industry.

“Our father had a soft spot for the humble folk of racing like the grooms and stewards and we hope to carry on his legacy in staging this annual event in his honor,” said Bagatsing, noting that Bagatsing Sr. would have celebrated his 97th birthday on Aug. 19.

Among the late Bagatsing’s accomplishments in the sport, he added, were the revival of the annual Gran Copa de Manila, a much-awaited event in the country’s horseracing calendar, and was also a major figure in the passing of the 1957 National Stud Farm Law.

“Winning grooms will receive extra cash prizes and other goods in recognition of their contribution to the horseracing industry,” the younger Bagatsing said.

Among the highlights of the event will be the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s National Grand Derby featuring the country’s top sweepstakes runners and the Mayor Bagatsing Division 1 and 2 races.

Bagatsing  cited the sponsorship of special races by Resorts World Manila, Solaire Resort and Casino and Tiger Resort and Leisure “whose prize pot will average from P400 and P500,000, with the winning worse easily taking home P150,000.”

With the juicy prizes at stake, the lawyer-sportsman said he expects the country’s leading horses seeing action in the event, whose beneficiary will be the Kabalikat ng Bayan sa Kaunlaran foundation (KABAKA) of his elder brother, Rep. Amado  Bagatsing of Manila’s fifth district.

He also thanked other supporters of the racing festival such as Rep. Albee Benitez, Red Bull, Andoks, San Juan Coliseum, San Miguel Corp. and Smart Communications.