Metro Manila Turf Club Inc. (MMTCI) will hold the second leg of the highly-anticipated Prince Cup and King’s Gold Cup stakes on Sunday, August 17 with a total prize pot of  P12 million with each race staking P6 million in prizes.

The twin events—sponsored by Costa Cruises, DLTB and the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom)—have one of the highest stakes awards of the year, demonstrating the increased interest and investment in the Philippine horse racing sector.

MMTCI unveils King’s Gold Cup, Prince Cup stakes for imported horses

MMTCI chairman and president Atty. Narciso O. Morales said that special guest delegations from ThoroughBid and Tattersalls, two major UK auctioneers, will be in attendance.

“Their involvement demonstrates the international interest in Philippine racing and the possibilities for European investment in the local sector,” Morales said.

“Despite the hurdles created by the COVID-19 epidemic, MMTCI has successfully increased its contribution to the government through taxes generated by its activities, demonstrating the industry’s resilience and growth,” Morales added.

Morales will also offer various changes to improve the horse racing experience, including the start of “Claiming” races, which are modeled after the well-known Kentucky racing system.

This program will allow participants to purchase horses that are running in actual races, providing a potential for ownership once the event is over.

This novel method is likely to draw more enthusiasts and investors to the sport, thereby increasing the local racing economy,” Morales said.

ThoroughBid’s CEO, James Richardson thanked Morales in a letter of intent for inviting him to visit the Philippines to witness the races.

“ThoroughBid’s objective is to modernize and globalize the bloodstock market by linking buyers and sellers in Europe, the Middle East, America, and now the Philippines,” Richardson said. “The planned tour seeks to investigate financial options, cooperation potential, and the promotion of high-
quality European bloodstock in the region.”

ThoroughBid’s visit will entail attending live racing meetings, touring stud farms and speaking with local racing administration about potential alliances.

The company is particularly interested in investigating sponsorship options for renowned events such as the Prince Cup and King’s Gold Cup, which would help raise the international profile of Philippine horse racing.

Morales said that the collaboration with ThoroughBid and Tattersalls marks a new chapter in the racing industry’s development, strengthening worldwide connections and raising regional horse racing standards.

“MMTCI hopes to improve the quality of available bloodstock by using the experience of these major auctioneers, hence increasing the worldwide competitiveness of local races,” he said.

Undefeated Morally (Mo Town—Street Rally by Hard Spun) won the Prince Cup while Sherbet Fountain (Twirling Candy- Church Camp by Forest Camp) won the King’s Gold Cup in the inaugural running.

Both horses were ridden by renowned jockey Mark Alvarez, trained by leading trainer Ernesto Roxas and owned by Gabriel Gaerlan.

The second leg, Morales said, is a watershed moment in the Philippine racing calendar.

“MMTCI is laying the groundwork for a bright future in horse racing by significantly increasing stakes, involving foreign visitors, and implementing new strategies to encourage participation,” he said.

Morales added: “As the community gathers to commemorate this new chapter, anticipation grows for what promises to be a memorable day of racing, friendship, and opportunity.”