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HORSE
owner Nery Sunga, of 2008 Horse of the Year Es Twenty
Six fame, is such a very busy man ever since.
While
attending to his main business managing the Sanry
Foreign Exchange, he still has time to look into the
needs of his constituents in barangay Guadalupe in
Makati. Besides, he also has time managing his several
minihotels and resorts all at the same time.
“It’s
already part of me to be at several places at a given
time. It’s just time management and how fast you deal
with your businesses that matters. Ayoko kasing
nababakante. Gusto ko laging nagtatrabaho,” he said
recently during a lunch with him at the Via Mare in
Makati.
Last
weekend Nery gave us a taste of how it was to mix
pleasure and business as he showed us into his Tagaytay
Haven in barangay Francisco, Ulat Road, Tagaytay City.
Nestled
inside a pineapple plantation, the 1.1-hectare
resort-cum-retreat resort is composed of 74 rooms of
well-apportioned cottages complete with various
amenities. These cottages were built inside huge
container vans that were fixed on top of the other. It
also has a chapel, sports and recreation complex,
auditorium and a swimming pool.
“This
Tagaytay Haven is one of the biggest here in Tagaytay
and conveniently located near the city of
Tagaytay,”
said Nery, who added that they also have several
packages that will suit the need of every customer in
town.
Most of
the accommodations are inclusive of three major meals a
day and the use of various facilities.
When
asked what is new on Es Twenty Six, Nery said his
champion horse is now making a slow comeback after a
long vacation. “Nagtrangko na nung isang araw.
Dahan-dahan lang ang balik. Sayang nga at hindi pa
puwedeng apurahin para sa sa darating na Silver
Cup,” he said.
****
TALKING
about the First Gentleman Silver Cup, the sponsoring
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office finally released
the June 15 staging of the major event.
A
whopping total of P1.75 million will be offered, with
the winner receiving the top prize of P1.1 million. The
runner-up picks up P350,000 while the third and fourth
placers will receive P175,000 and P85,000, respectively.
The breeder of the winning horse also receives a bonus
prize of P40,000. This event is open to all horses who
have already participated in the races.
****
NEW
ZEALAND Bloodstock marketing manager Petrea Vela
e-mailed me a news article regarding the very positive
start Monday of its National Weanling and Broodmare Sale
at Karaka, and he said he was confident that the first
day’s results signaled the growing strength of New
Zealand’s local market.
The
first day results were also highlighted by increases in
turnover, average and clearance from last year. Of the
255 weanlings catalogued for sale today, 202 were sold
for an aggregate of $2,531,950, representing a current
average of $12,534 and a very strong clearance rate of
87.4 percent. With 188 of the total 252 weanlings
catalogued last year selling for $2,335,150, turnover is
already up 8 percent with 143 weanlings still to come.
“In a
weanling catalogue that was dominated by fillies, it was
a clear sign of the strength of New Zealand domestic
racing and breeding that we can generate such a healthy
average and aggregate for the day and still record an
87-percent clearance rate.
“Traditionally, the pinhookers underpin this Sale, but
today, not only were the pinhookers very active, but
they also faced stiff competition from a raft of local
buyers looking for weanlings to retain, which is a great
boost for the industry,” Petrea said.
The
highlight of the day was a filly by Cambridge Stud
shuttle sire Stravinsky at Lot 109, from Group 1
performed Kaapstad mare Full Noise, purchased for
$130,000 by Marcus Corban Bloodstock. A handful of lots
later, the second of three young horses to make six
figures on the first day was another filly by Savabeel
from Marscay mare Glittering Girl bought by Janine
Dunlop’s GTS Bloodstock Ltd for $100,000 from
Curraghmore Stud. The day’s leading buyer was an Asian
horseman, Singapore owner Jayven See, who purchased
three weanlings, including a top price of $105,000 for
Lot 138, a colt by O’Reilly from Honor Rush (Honor
Grades) offered by Esker Lodge.
There
were 143 weanlings (including two supplementary entries)
that went under the hammer yesterday followed by
yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock, racehorses and
the first of the 300 broodmares on offer. The remaining
broodmares will be offered today.
****
DID you
know that United Parcel Services is now the exclusive
marketing partner of Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown
in his bid to sweep the US Triple Crown?
This was
announced recently by UPS recently after striking an
agreement with jockey Kent Desourmeaux and owner
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings Inc. (IEAH)
Stables. Big Brown, whose name was taken from the huge
company, and his winning connections will be donning the
UPS colors the entire Triple Crown Series and hopes to
become the 12th horse in the history of the series to
sweep it. It has been 30 years since Affirmed became the
11th horse to win the US Triple Crown.
“This is
such a thrilling time for our entire ownership team, and
we are extremely honored to have a company like UPS
along for the ride. Having a Kentucky Derby-winning
horse is a dream come true. Competing for a Triple
Crown title is the thrill of a lifetime and we’ll be
supporting Brown all the way,” said Michael Iavarone,
copresident and CEO of IEAH Stables. Big Brown remains
undefeated, having won all four of his races by a
combined total of more than 33 lengths.
Paul
Pompa Jr., owner of Truck-Rite Corp. in Brooklyn, New
York, who is the original owner of Big Brown, named his
newly purchased galloper after the said service company
immediately after renewing a contract with UPS Freight
in 2007.
“The Big
Brown story is a compelling one that has resonated
globally across UPS with our more than 425,000 employees
worldwide. We’ve enjoyed some tremendous associations
through our sponsorship platforms, and to be able to be
linked to a Kentucky Derby champion is an honor for our
company and our employees. We look forward to
supporting Big Brown in his Triple Crown quest,” said
Ron Rogowski, UPS’s director of sponsorship
headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
UPS is
the world’s largest package-delivery company and a
global leader in supply-chain services. Each day, the
UPS pit crew of more than 425,000 dedicated employees
delivers to more than 200 countries and territories
worldwide. |
