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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider MORALLY, VARATTI shine in second leg of MMTCI's Prince and King's Gold Cups

MORALLY, VARATTI shine in second leg of MMTCI's Prince and King's Gold Cups

Published Aug 22, 2025 08:44 am

At A Glance

  • The gross sales of P72 million of the MetroTurf Thoroughbred Championship series coinciding with the Dr. Ramon D. Bagatsing Memorial festival of 17 races was recorded as among the biggest in all stakes races for the year 2025 and attended by aficionados in large numbers.
MMTCI chair and Pres. Atty Narciso O Morales with Amb. Dondon Bagatsing and ThoroughBid CEO James Richardson
MMTCI chair and Pres. Atty Narciso O Morales with Amb. Dondon Bagatsing and ThoroughBid CEO James Richardson
The gross sales of P72 million of the MetroTurf Thoroughbred Championship series coinciding with the Dr. Ramon D. Bagatsing Memorial festival of 17 races was recorded as among the biggest in all stakes races for the year 2025 and attended by aficionados in large numbers.
Undefeated thoroughbred MORALLY (Mo town-Street rally by Hardspun), ridden by star jockey Mark Alvarez, owned by G. Gaerlan, and trained by Ernesto Roxas, won the second leg of the Prince Cup stakes.
The second leg of the King’s Gold Cup went to VARATTI (Into Mischief-Artemis by Empire Maker) of jockey Jeff Zarate, owner James Rabano, and trainer Ramon Nartea.
James Richardson, chief executive officer of ThoroughBid, England’s leading thoroughbred auction house, attended both stakes races and pledged to bring European racing and technology to the Philippines.
In addition, he committed his company would host an annual auction sale of European horses in the country in order to enhance the quality of our thoroughbred racehorse bloodstocks.
In order to supplement the traditional horse racing in the county today, MMTCI President and CEO Atty. Narciso O. Morales, Richardson, along with Philracom chair Reli de Leon started exploring the possibilities of introducing quarter race horses soon,
a concept that will feature a matchup of two thoroughbreds in a new racing genre to be called Red and White races.
“This is a new development in our sport of horseracing that will bring more appeal and excitement to the general public. It is also expected that the Red and White matchup races and international caliber stakes races will bring in more tourists to the country," he added.
After staging the Triple crown series of the Prince Cup and the Kings Gold Cup for thoroughbreds from America, Morales expressed another unique idea of establishing a similar championship series in the near future, this time from imported racehorses from Europe and Australia..
Morales assured the racing industry that for next year, new developments are on the table in order to attract the new or younger generations to thoroughbred horse racing.
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