Silent Witness
Statue of Silent Witness
SireEl Moxie (USA)
GrandsireConquistador Cielo
DamJade Tiara
DamsireBureaucracy (NZ)
SexGelding
FoaledOctober 1999
CountryAustralia
ColourBay
BreederMr I. K. Smith
OwnerArthur Antonio da Silva
TrainerTony Cruz
Record29: 18-3-2
EarningsHKD$62,496,396 (USD$8 million)
Major wins
2003 & 2004 Hong Kong Sprint
2003 & 2004 International Sprint Trial
2004 HK Bauhinia Sprint Trophy
2004 HK Centenary Sprint Cup
2004 HK Chairman's Sprint Prize
2005 Sprinters Stakes
Awards
Hong Kong Champion Sprinter (2004, 2005, 2006)
Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2004 & 2005)
Hong Kong Most Popular Horse of the Year (2004, 2005)
World's Champion Sprinter (2003, 2004, 2005)
Last updated on 16 September 2010

Silent Witness (Chinese: 精英大師) (foaled 1 October 1999) was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse who won his first 17 starts in sprint races in Hong Kong. He was ranked the world's top sprinter for three seasons.

He was bred by Mr I. K. Smith and foaled in 1999 at Edinburgh Park Stud near Taree, New South Wales in Australia. Silent Witness is by El Moxie (USA) out of Jade Tiara by Bureaucracy (NZ). Jade Tiara is the dam of nine named horses.[1]

Racing record

Silent Witness was trained by Tony Cruz, ridden by Felix Coetzee and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Antonio da Silva.

He made his debut as a three-year-old at the Sha Tin racecourse in a 1,000-metre race in Hong Kong. Silent Witness won this race by a margin of almost four lengths in the fast time of 57.8 seconds.

Silent Witness was awarded the title of Most Improved Horse and Champion Griffin (inexperienced racehorse) in the Hong Kong Jockey Club awards presentation ceremony in June 2003.

In 2003 and 2004 Silent Witness won the internationally contested Hong Kong Sprint race by defeating top horses from Europe, Japan, Australia, and the United States. In the Centenary Sprint Cup (G1), Silent Witness equalled the long-standing Hong Kong record of ten consecutive wins. He also won six other major Group One (G1) Sprints in 2004 and 2005.[2]

After the 17 consecutive wins, he attempted the mile race in the Champions Mile in May 2005 at Sha Tin Racecourse but he was defeated by Bullish Luck by a short head.

He made a second attempt on the mile by going to Tokyo, Japan to participate in the Yasuda Kinen in June. Again, he ran well but was defeated by Asakusa Den'en, a Japanese horse, near the winning post.

A mile was the maximum distance that he could race and win. On 2 October 2005, he took part in the Sprinters Stakes, which is a Group 1 Sprint Race in Japan over 1,200 metres. Silent Witness won the race easily by 1¼ lengths with a time of 1:07.3 seconds, 0.3 seconds slower than the track record time.

For the three years from 2003 to 2005, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities in Paris ranked Silent Witness the world's fastest sprinter.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club made a website for him, making him the first horse with its own website in Hong Kong. The Jockey Club also sells gifts for him.[3] On 24 April 2005, the day Silent Witness won his 17th consecutive race, the Jockey Club gave memorial caps to people, which led to a trampling incident.

Silent Witness is sometimes compared to another Hong Kong champion, Co-Tack, and the American horse Cigar who won 16 consecutive races.

Silent Witness was retired, after his last race on the Sha Tin Racecourse on 4 February 2007. He is now at Living Legends, the International Home of Rest for Champion Horses located in Woodlands Historic Park, Greenvale, Victoria, Australia.[4]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Silent Witness (AUS), b.g. 1999
Sire
El Moxie (USA)
B. 1986		 Conquistador Cielo
B. 1979		 Mr. Prospector Raise a Native
Gold Digger
K.D. Princess Bold Commander
Tammy's Turn
Raise the Standard (CAN)
B. 1978		 Hoist The Flag (USA) Tom Rolfe
Wavy Navy
Natalma (USA) Native Dancer
Almahmoud
Dam
Jade Tiara
B. 1993		 Bureaucracy (NZ)
Br. 1987		 Lord Ballina (AUS) Bletchingly (AUS)
Sunset Girl (AUS)
Tulla Doll Oncidium (GB)
Doll
Jade-Amanda (NZ)
Ch. 1986		 Grosvenor Sir Tristram (IRE)
My Tricia
Comptroller Smuggler (GB)
Shifnal's Pride (family: 13a)

See also

References

  1. ↑ ASB: Jade Tiara Retrieved 2010-9-17
  2. ↑ ASB: Silent Witness (AUS) Retrieved 2010-9-17
  3. ↑ "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Gift Corner". www.hkjc.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2005.
  4. ↑ "Living Legends: The International Home of Rest for Champion Horses - Legends". www.livinglegends.org.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007.

Aboolcarim, Zoher "The Measure of a Horse," Time, 29 February 2007:p. 52.

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