The Philippine Racing Commission hired a retired veterinary medicine professor to run the newly-established Philracom Jockeys and Trainers Academy.
The academy, which provides two-year courses, will start classes for trainers on April 28 under Ceferino R. Maala, professor emeritus and former assistant dean of the University of the Philippines College of Veterinary Medicine.
For the trainers course, the first semester for the first year will run from April to July 2016 with three subjects: equine anatomy and conformation, equine health and disease management, and equine nutrition.
The second semester, from September to December, will feature stable management and horse training and fitness development.
In the second year, the subjects are animal welfare (legal aspects) and rules and regulations of horseracing, to be taken up from January to April.
Apprenticeship as a practical subject will be taken year-round. The students will be taught by veterinarians and industry experts, and supervised by ten Philracom-licensed trainers.
There will be a minimal monthly tuition fee of P1,000.
The training course for jockeys is being developed and details will be announced when ready. Interested applicants may call Philracom at 843-0971.
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Twelve runners were declared last Monday to run in Sunday’s (Apr. 17) Philracom 3YO Fillies and Colts at San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.
The 1,400-meter race will feature Dance Again with jockey RC Fernandez, Jess Jewel with JL Lazaro, Guatemala with MA Alvarez, Johnny Be Good with JPA Guce, Kid Benjie with KB Abobo, Mahayana Budur with JB Guce, Mt. Eaglet with Dan L. Camañero, Piskante with FM Raquel Jr., Secret Kingdom with JT Zarate, Sky Dancer with PR Dilema, Spectrum with JB Hernandez, and Tagapagmana with AB Alcasid Jr.
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