MANILA, Philippines - Gentle Irony kicked off the new racing season with a victory in smashing fashion, humbling former stable mate and couple entry Juggling Act and beating Indy Hay for the first leg crown of the 2012 Philracom Garnet I Stakes Race Series at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite recently.
Expertly handled by ace jockey J.B. Hernandez, Gentle Irony lived up to the hype and dominated the race for the imported and local horses, crossing the wire unopposed to deliver the top P300,000 purse to owner lawyer-businessman Narciso Morales.
Indy Hay came in second and took the P112,500 prize while Juggling Act settled for third worth P62,500 and Forever My Love received P25,000 for finishing fourth in the blue-ribbon event.
Gentle Irony and Juggling Act are the top racehorses in the country today, combining for five stakes victories last year, including the P2 million Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco Cup at Sta. Ana last December.
But Juggling Act is now owned by sportsman Hermie Esguerra, who bought it at P5 million, which broke all records in local racing industry sale of super horses.
Gentle Irony and Juggling Act were bought in Australia by the late Gov. Armand Sanchez of Batangas at P10 million each and were later sold to Morales by Sanchez’s widow at P500,000 each.
Now being billed as chief rivals on the local turf, Gentle Irony and Juggling Act will be lined up in a dream race featuring the country’s other leading chargers, including Magna Carta, Yes Pogi, Barkley, Humble Riches, Hagdang Bato and Indy Hay.