Silent Witness (horse)
Encyclopedia
Silent Witness (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.
, 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.
After the 17 consecutive wins, he attempted the mile race in the Champions Mile
on 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. 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
.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won his first 17 starts in sprint races in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He was ranked the world's top sprinter
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , an organization established in 2003 with headquarters in Paris, France made up of members from around the world....
for three seasons.
He was bred by Mr I. K. Smith and foaled in 1999 at Edinburgh Park Stud near Taree, New South Wales
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Silent Witness is by El Moxie (USA) out of Jade Tiara by Bureaucracy (NZ). Jade Tiara is the dam of nine named horses.
Racing record
Silent Witness was trained by Tony CruzAnthony S. Cruz
Anthony S. "Tony" Cruz is a prominent horse trainer and former Champion Thoroughbred horse racing jockey.-Early life:Son of J. M. da Cruz, himself a well-known jockey, Tony Cruz is of Portuguese descent...
, ridden by Felix Coetzee
Felix Coetzee
Felix Coetzee is a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing.Felix Coetzee was the son of a KwaZulu-Natal trainer and his grandfather was an owner-trainer. As a fifteen year old, Felix Coetzee attended the Jockey Academy at Summerveld then served his apprenticeship with his father's racing stable...
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
Hong Kong Sprint
The Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
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
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
(G1) Sprints in 2004 and 2005.
After the 17 consecutive wins, he attempted the mile race in the Champions Mile
Champions Mile
The Champions Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres on the turf at Sha Tin Racecourse....
on May 2005 at Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...
but he was defeated by Bullish Luck
Bullish Luck
Bullish Luck is a Hong Kong based Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, he is the son of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Royal Academy and out of the Alysheba mare Wild Vintage...
by a short head.
He made a second attempt on the mile by going to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to participate in the Yasuda Kinen
Yasuda Kinen
The Yasuda Kinen is a Japanese International Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo. Raced annually each June, the Yasuda Kinen is run at a distance of eight furlongs on turf and is open to horses three years of age and up...
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
Sprinters Stakes
The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan open to thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Nakayama Racecourse, and it takes place annually in late September or early October....
, 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
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ranked Silent Witness the world's fastest sprinter
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , an organization established in 2003 with headquarters in Paris, France made up of members from around the world....
.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, founded in 1884 to promote horse racing. It was granted Royal Charter and renamed to "The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club" in 1959...
made a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
for him, making him the first horse with its own website in Hong Kong. The Jockey Club also sells gifts for him. 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
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
who won 16 consecutive races.
Silent Witness was retired, after his last race on the Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.Penfold Park is encircled by the track.-History:...
on 4 February 2007. He is now at Living Legends
Living Legends horse retirement home
Living Legends is an international home of rest for champion horses located on Oaklands Road at Woodlands Historic Park in Greenvale near Melbourne, Australia...
, the International Home of Rest for Champion Horses located in Woodlands Historic Park, Greenvale, Victoria
Greenvale, Victoria
Greenvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.