S Witness triumphs Sprinters for Hong Kong

SILENT WITNESS(AUS) of Hong Kong triumphed the Sprinters Stakes(g1) in great style yesterday afternoon. It was the first time that a foreign horse had taken the 1,200-meter sprint. "He is a great horse and he has proved it today.", said Felix Coetzee, a South African native jockey who never missed aboard the big bay gelding.

CALSTONE LIGHT O rushed into front, while SILENT WITNESS held a good position, just outside of SHE IS TOSHO. Coetzee said, "When he got the position, about third or fourth place following the horses. I was very very confident."

Coming around the final turn into the stretch, SILENT WITNESS was next to GALLANT ARROW in second. From there, many were all eyes on him. With 100 meters to go, Coetzee forced his horse to grab the lead from the weakening CALSTONE LIGHT O. SILENT WITNESS got up home in 1 minute 7.3 seconds for a 1 1/4-length victory.

Coetzee said in the TV interview, "He went past Calstone Light O and he pricked his ears like he does at home when he hit the front, but I just proposed its foreign track for him and he's never raced here. So, I gave him a few backhand smack, just keeping him remind on the business and so you know if anything is coming you just can't take a chance."

DURANDAL and ADMIRE MAX came in late, finishing second and third respectively. A 1/2-length separated the two. As the 2.0(or even) favorite, SILENT WITNESS paid 200 yen for win.

More than 57,700 people turned out on the Sprinters day at Nakayama.

By El Moxie out of Jade Tiara, by Bureaucracy, SILENT WITNESS has earnings of more than 814 million yen with a career record of 20-18-1-1. Anthony Cruz and Arthur da Silva, respectively, trains and owns him. IK Smith is a breeder of the 6-year-old gelding.