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WE talked to several owners and trainers who are complaining
about the continuing rise in the prices of horse feeds
today.
“Masyadong mataas na ngayon ang pagkain ng
mga kabayo. Hindi naman namin malaman kung bakit ganun
‘yung mga imported materials na binabayaran nila ng
dollars ‘eh hindi naman tumataas. Bumababa pa nga ang
presyo ng dollars ngayon,” (Prices of horse feeds are
too high. We don't understand why, while they
(manufacturers) say its because of the imported
materials that they pay for in dollars. Dollars which
are not increasing but rather are going down") said one
disappointed owner.
The sudden surge in prices of feeds has made
some owners turn to the imported products, the prices of
which virtually match the locally made ones.
“Hindi na nagkakalayo ang presyo ng mga
imported na feeds ngayon sa market kaya ang bilin na rin
sa akin ng aming amo ‘eh iyun nang imported ang bilhin
namin dahil me quality pa raw,” (The prices of imported
feeds are almost the same as the local ones', which is
why my boss instructs me to buy the imports ones which
have better quality.) said one groom.
I have been trying to get in touch with some
local manufacturers but to no avail. But I have received
reports that one main ingredient in horse feeds—oats—is
getting more expensive these days. Coupled with delivery
costs, such as transporting them to Batangas where most
of the horse farms are located, the price of feeds is
really going up.
I wonder what happened to the proposal by
some groups several months ago regarding the credit
facilities being extended by an international racing
group regarding these horse feeds.
I heard that the international racing group
is coming in with a multimillion-dollar credit facility
that can be tapped to buy horse feeds by the bulk and
repack them for local consumption. More than 50 percent
of the existing price in the market could be saved on
this scheme, according to the local guys who supported
the idea. But the idea suddenly went pffft.
IT’S all systems go for the first leg of the Philippine
Racing Commission (Philracom) Imported Stakes this
Sunday.
A mixture of six new and veteran imported
gallopers are in the hunt for the total prize of
P800,000 sponsored by the Philracom. The event ushers
the rich Philracom-sponsored races slated for the year
that are expected to attract top-rated horses in the
country today.
The participants together with their
respective jockeys are: Glory And Honour, Pati Dilema,
56; Danseuse, Val Dilema, 56; Ever Mine Now, JB
Hernandez, 56; Fairy Queen, LI Santos, 53.5; Ziraz,
Roderick Hipolito, 53.5; and Deputy Stravinsky, Julio
Manalo, 53.5.
The winner goes home with P480,000 while the
runner-up picks up P180,000, third P100,000 and fourth
P40,000.
The first three horses are veterans of
several major races and also in the Philracom Imported
series last year. Ever Mine Now was the runaway winner
in the 2006 Philracom All-Imported Championship when she
beat five others, including 2005 champion Wild Orchid.
Glory And Honour was runner-up in that race.
In the 2006 Philracom Classic Open
Championship, Glory And Honour placed third while
Danseuse and Ever Mine Now checked in fourth and fifth,
respectively. Fairy Queen was seventh.
Fairy Queen, Ziraz and Deputy Stravinsky, the
lone Kentucky-bred galloper in the event, are relatively
new faces in this series that is open only to all
imported horses. Ziraz is successfully campaigning in
various special races the past few weeks and this is her
first major stakes race. Meanwhile, the promising Deputy
Stravinsky won the Don Floirendo Golden Girls Stakes
last October and continues to improve in her past
several outings.
HAVE you heard the $3-million endowment for a veterinary
chair made by Roy and Gretchen Jackson in the name of
Dr. Dean Richardson at the University of Pennsylvannia
School of Veterinary Medicine? Well, that’s a cool P145
million at the present rate of P48.50 to $1 which is
considered a whopping gift by a horse owner to a doctor
who treated beloved horse Barbaro.
The endowed chair is the cornerstone of a
major new Penn Vet initiative to fight laminitis, which
afflicted the Kentucky Derby winner. The laminitis
initiative will foster training programs and studies for
new treatments of equine diseases.
“We are very pleased to make this commitment
in support of the
School
of Veterinary Medicine’s research of equine diseases,”
said Gretchen Jackson. “Our close relationship with Dr.
Richardson over the last eight months persuaded us to
name the chair in his honor. We are indeed grateful to
him, and we especially look forward to a future without
laminitis.”
The
Jacksons
have a long and close connection with the
University of
Pennsylvania
and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Both are Penn
graduates and have been dedicated supporters of the
school’s athletic, medicine and veterinary programs for
many years. In addition, Gretchen Jackson serves on the
Penn Vet Board of Overseers.
Dr. Richardson was very grateful for the said
gift. “I am deeply honored by this generous and
important gift,” said Richardson, chief of surgery at
Penn’s
George
D. Widener Hospital and leader of the team that treated
Barbaro. “The
Jacksons’
remarkable philanthropy will translate into better
outcomes for injured and ill horses in the future.” |
