The amazing three-year-old colt by Conquistarose out of Northern Edge who bagged the first two legs in overpowering fashion is expected to pick up his third straight victory next Sunday en route to sweeping the series.
A victory in the Horseman’s Cup (which is in honor of Don Antonio Floirendo) will make Silver Story the eighth horse in history to sweep the local version of the annual prestigious event for the top three-year-olds in the land.
The seven earlier sweepers were the legendary Fair & Square in 1981, Skywalker in 1983, Time Master in 1987, Magic Showtime in 1988, Sun Dancer in 1989, Strong Material in 1996, and Real Top in 1998. The series started in 1978.
The distance by which the Horseman’s Cup will be disputed is now much longer than the earlier two legs – 2,045 meters, which gives Silver Story a big edge over his challengers.
This makes him the heavy favorite to bag the whopping top prize of P1-million, courtesy of the sponsoring Philippine Racing Commission.
Both trainer Jun Paman and regular rider Jonathan Hernandez had already expressed confidence of winning the series. "Mahirap manigurado pero masyadong magaling si Silver Story sa grupong ito ngayong taon. We hope to sweep the series but we are not taking for granted the other challengers. Laban lang kami pero nag-iingat din," said Jun Paman.