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Home , Bullish Luck, Champions Mile, Shanghai Race Club, Sha Tin Racecourse, Silent Witness (horse), Tony Cruz (jockey)

WITNESS TO A CITY

By EMILY CHAN photo CALVIN SIT, STEFANO GRASSO, FRANK SORGE, JOCKEY CLUB, ISTOCK/GETTYIMAGES 48 GALLOPMAGAZINE is huge in Hong Kong – and very diferent, especially from an owner’s point of view. Meet Hong Kong racehorse owner Arthur Antonio da Silva, a man who has been a member of the for almost half a century. This is his take on lessons he has learnt as an owner, his love of racing and his thoughts on the future of Hong Kong’s Thoroughbred industry.

GALLOPMAGAZINE 49 rthur Antonio da Silva, also known as Archie, is a familiar face not only to Hong Kong racegoers, but to many general citizens of Hong Kong as well. In 2003, when Hong Kong was deeply troubled by the SARS epidemic, Archie’s racehorse brought light and glory to the city with his his- torical 17 race winning streak. The gelding gave citizens more hopeA and courage than perhaps any of the government’s own campaigns. “I was very, very happy and over the moon that my dreams had come true,” says Archie. “It’s hard to explain the really special feelings I had when Silent Witness won for the 17th time in a row, but it was one of the highlights of my life.” Many can still recall Archie, screaming, cheering and crying for Silent Witness at every single race, often oblivious to the TV cameras and photographers around him capturing all of his emotions. Archie’s ancestors were originally from Portugal, but moved to Macau in 1690. In 1842, when Hong Kong came under British rule, there were lots of work opportunities available, and his great grandfather Emiliano da Silva migrated from Macau to neighboring Hong Kong. “It’s hard to explain With a population of 33,000 in the 1850s, Hong Kong was one of many important trading ports along the China coast. the really special feelings There were no skyscrapers filling up the city’s skyline alongside Victoria Harbour like today. Instead, the scent from sandal- I had when Silent Witness wood incense factories in Aberdeen, on the western edge of the won for the 17th time in island, flowed across the harbor, giving Hong Kong the name Heung Gong – literally meaning “fragrant a row, but it was one of harbor.” the highlights of my life.” ARCHIE WAS BORN in Hong Kong in 1947, and he inherited his love of horse racing from his father, prominent lawyer Marcus Alberto da Silva.

50 GALLOPMAGAZINE “My dad died young at the age of 49 (when I was 10 years squeezed in between high-rises on some of the most valuable old) but during the 1940s and early 1950s, he was crazy about land on the planet. horse racing,” Archie says as he lights up a cigarette. “He owned Horse racing was initially an annual sporting event only, usu- 13 racehorses and went to every race meeting. I wanted to fol- ally scheduled during the Chinese New Year, and it was fre- low in my father’s footsteps.” quented by the British Governor, military officers, businessmen Horse racing in Hong Kong has a long and rich history that and locals. In the early days, runners at Happy Valley can be traced back to the 19th century. Four years after the Racecourse were not Thoroughbreds but rather Mongolian po- sett lement of the British Colony, the first race meeting in Hong nies ridden by amateur riders. The ponies were characterized Kong was held on 17 December 1846. by their large heads, short legs and necks, deep chests and long The lack of natural flat land has been a problem of Hong bodies, as well as outstanding stamina, but offered less excite- Kong from the beginning, and the only apparently suitable site ment in flat racing because of their slower pace. was a piece of flat swamp known as “Wong Nai Chung” by the Between 1941 and 1945 in the midst of the Sino-Japanese locals. This track was later renamed to Happy Valley, and it is war, Hong Kong had fallen into the hands of the Japanese gov- still one of the two racecourses in the city, but now it is ernment. After the Japanese had surrendered, the colonial

GALLOPMAGAZINE 51 British government resumed racing in 1947. Archie’s father was one of the owners of this era and cam- paigned some of his horses on his own and some with Archiehis’s Godfather, Leo dD’Almada, who was also a very famous and prominent lawyer.

ALL OF HIS RACEHORSES (except the last one, which was called Thunder Sky) were named after witnesses as a tribute to his work as a lawyer. Therefore, Marcus da Silva had horses with names such as Silent Witness, Nervous Witness, Prime Witness, and Crown Witness. Archie’s racehorses nowadays have the same names as his dad’s racehorses used to have. “I’m running out of names now, and this is why my latest horse is called I’m a Witness,” says Archie. “This is a name I in- vented myself! My dad loved horse racing, but he was not very successful as an owner.” Archie explained that back then the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which was established in 1884 to promote horse racing, did not Hong Kong’s economy skyrocketed in the 1970s and ‘80s, and allow horse owners to buy their racehorses. Instead, every sea- it was also a turning point for the racing industry. son the HKJC would import horses that had never raced before. In 1971, racing turned from amateur to professional, meaning The club would allocate a horse to each owner randomly only full-time professionals could train, exercise and ride horses through balloting and pure luck. at Happy Valley. This attracted leading jockeys and trainers “If your luck was good, HKJC would allocate a good horse to from overseas to work in Hong Kong, especially from Australia, you, but if your luck was bad, then you would get a bad horse,” and Thoroughbreds replaced the Mongolian ponies on the track. he says. “That’s why I can’t judge my dad and say he was bad at picking horses because it was out of his control. The horses OFF-COURSE BETTING BRANCHES and telephone betting ser- were allocated to him by the HKJC.” vices opened in 1974 and caused the weekly turnover to rise from HK$1 million to HK$7 million in six months. The Club ARCHIE DID NOT immediately follow his father into the racing also built a second racecourse at in the game. Instead, he graduated from the University of Hong Kong to cope with the demand of the sport. Amid all this, Archie’s and chose to enter the air freight industry. passion and hard work also brought him success in his business. “When I graduated from university at 19 in 1966, I was too “When my dad died, we were quite poor, as he left little lazy to continue my studies, and I saw an advert in a newspaper money for us,” he says. “I managed to succeed because of very that said, ‘Join Jardines / British Airways, and get a free famil- hard work and doing well at school, and I managed to be ac- iarization trip to Tokyo,’ ” says Archie. “I had never flown at cepted to the University of Hong Kong on a scholarship. I that time and never been to , so I was very much attracted would say my business is pretty successful. I took over Jet- by this and applied.” Speed in 1976 and entered the Chinese market in the 1980s.”

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conformation and faultless temperament. Silent Witness was laid back on the way to the starting gates and seemingly just as relaxed SILENT WITNESS midrace as he typically cruised along in front while his opponents were being ridden hard just to stay in touch. The winning run that started in December 2002 finally came to – The Perfect Sprinter an end in April, 2005 and it took a step up to 1600 meters and an exceptionally lucky winning run for it to happen. Outstanding Hong It wasn’t just the record of 17 straight Kong miler and subsequent Horse of the Year secured wins or that he was named World’s Best an uninterrupted run on the fence to come from behind and switch course at precisely the right time to grab the 5/1 on favourite in the Sprinter three years straight, it was the very last stride in the G1 . Trainer gave way Hong Kong superstar Silent Witness the champion another attempt at the mile three weeks later in the won his races that stamped him as a prestigious in Tokyo, but he once again just failed to sprinter of the highest calibre. get the trip and ran third in a blanket finish. by Shane McNally After a four-month break, Silent Witness resumed as a 6-year- old to win his only race away from Hong Kong. And what a win it was, with the gelding coming from behind to race to the lead at the For well over two years after making his debut at Sha Tin in late furlong and win the 1200 meters eased-up in a 2002, Silent Witness was virtually untouchable over sprint distances, blistering 1.07.3. winning nine Group 1 races agaainst the best from Australia, Europe, There’s been plenty of debate as to whether Silent Witness the Unites States, Japan and South Africa. should have been retired after his winning streak came to an end. When Firebolt raced up to him 500 meters out in the Bauhinia The champion failed to win a race in his last nine starts often at the Sprint Trophy and when jockey gave him a little rein in highest level. the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, he extended as few sprinters have ever It’s very easy in hindsight but if he’d been retired after his first loss, done to win those 2004 Group 1s like they were exercise gallops. he wouldn’t have delivered the sprint performance of the 2005 rac- The sheer contempt with which he treated the G1 Sprinters Stakes ing year at Nakayama. He was retired in early 2007 and now resides field at Nakayama in 2005 was something to behold, as Coetzee at the Living Legends property in Melbourne. stood high in the saddle and saluted the crowd crossing the finishing The fact is that Silent Witness set new standards in Hong Kong line. racing with those 17 straight wins and for three years was rated su- perior to any short-course galloper Australia, the US or Europe could The Australian-bred son of El Moxie-Jade Tiara had a major produce. He remains one of the greatest sprinters in Thoroughbred advantage over most sprinters anywhere because of his near-perfect racing history.

GALLOPMAGAZINE 53 54 GALLOPMAGAZINE SILENT WITNESS Bay gelding, foaled 1999 El Moxie (USA) – Jade Tiara (AUS)

Trainer: Tony Cruz Jockey: Felix Coetzee Owners: Arthur da Silva & Betty da Silva Breeder: Ian Smith, Edinburgh Park, New South Wales, Australia

Silent Witness was a racing cult hero like none Hong Kong had seen before or since. Tens of thousands flocked the Sha Tin course wearing or waving the horse’s green and black colours in the latter part of his two and a half year unbeaten run, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club created a website for the champion. Silent Witness memo- Trainer, Tony Cruz. rabilia was sold on course as the champion’s winning run continued and, when he recorded his 17th straight win in the G2 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, the club gave away free caps to an adoring public. The superstar gelding had captured the public imagi- nation at a time when Hong Kong’s economy and tourism industry was in tatters as a result of the SARS epidemic, and what started out as a hopeful diversion quickly turned into unequalled affection for an all-time great. Trainer Tony Cruz is on record as saying Silent Witness “lifted the spirit of the Hong Kong people” and jockey Felix Coetzee described the horse he piloted to each of his 18 wins as “a rock star” and a horse with intelligence to match his ability.

Career record: 29 starts, 18 wins, 3 seconds, 3 thirds Prizemoney: $62m HK ($7.99m US)

Hong Kong Horse of the Year: 2004, 2005 World’s Champion Sprinter 2003, 2004, 2005

Group 1 wins 2003 – Sha Tin 1000m 2004 – Sha Tin 1000m 2004 Centenary Sprint Cup – Sha Tin 1000m 2004 Chairman’s Sprint Prize – Sha Tin 1200m 2004 Hong Kong Sprint – Sha Tin 1000m 2005 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy – Sha Tin 1000m 2005 Centenary Sprint Cup – Sha Tin 1000m 2005 Chairman’s Sprint Prize – Sha Tin 1200m 2005 Sprinters Stakes – Nakayama 1200m

GALLOPMAGAZINE 55 Archie is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Jet-Speed ership of such a permit is very prestigious. Air Cargo Forwarders, one of the first airfreight management Applicants need to take part in the Jockey Club ballot to se- companies in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1967 and currently cure one of the 320 horse ownership permits issued annually, has a global network of offices and partners in 50 countries. but to do so one must first be a member. For this the applicant needs to be nominated by two voting members, but there are ALTHOUGH ARCHIE HAS been a member of the HKJC since only about 200 of them in Hong Kong. If you have the right 1968, it wasn’t until 1989 he was able to save enough money to network and credentials, you might be able to get in, which buy his first racehorse. makes the horse racing scene in Hong Kong so different from “When I was 21, I was already very enthusiastic about horse anywhere else in the world. racing and I have been betting since that age, but I didn’t have enough money to be a racehorse owner,” Archie says, laughing ALTHOUGH ARCHIE EVENTUALLY had huge success with Silent lightly. “I am not a rich second generation man, but a man who Witness, his career as a racehorse owner has not always been is practical, hardworking and ambitious.” rosy. In 1992, following his success with Nervous Witness, he The first horse Archie owned raced in Macau and was named headed down to New Zealand again to buy his next racehorse. Thunder Sky, after his father’s last racehorse. “This horse was called Clever Witness,” he recalls. “It came “Thunder Sky was quite extraordinary—he finished second second in a Group 1 race and won in a Group 2 race. I thought 10 times,” says Archie. “I still remember the first time when he this must be a great horse, so I decided to bring it to Hong Kong.” raced in Macau. We thought the horse had won. We were so Unfortunately, the horse bled from its nose every time after happy that we jumped up and down, but it turned out he lost morning track work, and in Hong Kong, a horse that bleeds by a nose. He finally won the 11th time out in what turned out three times in races is permanently barred from further racing. to be his last race.” Archie decided that buying unraced racehorses is a better deal Although Archie found success, in the 1980s Hong Kong’s than importing horses that have already run. traditional labour, intensive industries gradually lost their su- “I was very disappointed,” says Archie. “The purchase price premacy as factory owners, relocated to due to was also quite high. It turned out I had definitely been fooled. If cheap land and labour resources. By the mid-1990s, Hong a horse is so good, why would this horse owner sell it to you?” Kong’s economic structure had already changed into that of a After Clever Witness retired in 1994, Archie endured four service industry. years without a horse ownership license. When he finally got a During this period, Hong Kong endured a wave of mass emi- new license in 1999, he bought Prime Witness and learnt anoth- gration overseas as uncertainty loomed the city following the er lesson that he will never forget. announcement that Hong Kong’s sovereignty would be returned “The horse was racing on October 1, 2003, which was also to China on July 1, 1997. However, Archie chose to stay. my wife’s birthday, and I asked my trainer if I should bet on this “Before the handover, I decided to stay because I loved Hong horse,” says Archie. “The trainer said, ‘I wouldn’t waste my Kong and I still do,” he explains. “I believed that Hong Kong money if I were you.’ However, Prime Witness turned out to be was sufficiently resilient to overcome all its problems.” quite good and won the race at 71 times the money, but I hadn’t He was right. Two decades after Fortune Magazine ran its bet a single penny on him! infamous “Death of Hong Kong” cover, the city still stands as “It was first time in my life I didn’t bet on my own horse, and one of the world’s leading international financial centers. of course, I was very angry. I went to investigate the records, and I found out the trainer did the last fast gallop with Prime AFTER THUNDER SKY in Macau, Archie decided to race in Witness on the morning of the race day. No horse trainer does Hong Kong. His next horse, Nervous Witness, was imported this. So I called the trainer and asked him about it. from New Zealand in 1991. “The trainer said, ‘It’s my training style, and that’s why your “After you get your first horse, you get even more excited, horse won. He’s an old horse, he is 9-years-old, and I wanted to and you started thinking of buying more horses,” says Archie. wake him up for the races.’ I said, ‘You must have known he “I went down to New Zealand with horse trainer Geoff Lane. can win.’ Throughout my career in racing, I have learnt how We selected a horse that had been trained by a less than perfect cheeky horse trainers can be, and this is how I learnt it.” trainer, but despite this, he still won two times in four races. Prime Witness was a successful horse and earned HK$ 9million, Lane said he could train this horse and improve its performance which at that time was very good. Strengthened by that success, tremendously if it came to Hong Kong, so we bought Nervous Archie went back to bloodstock agent David Price to buy an- Witness.” other horse from him. That horse would become the legendary Nervous Witness turned out to be a very good buy. He won Silent Witness. seven times in Hong Kong and had a couple of seconds and thirds. However, racing in Hong Kong is not a straightforward ONE DAY, DAVID called Archie and told him he had an unraced process. horse who was performing extremely well in the morning track As opposed to other racing jurisdictions, there is no breeding work. The horse routinely beat his training mates by four industry in Hong Kong. Anyone who wants to own a runner has lengths even off the bridle. to apply for a horse import permit from the HKJC to bring in That was the birth of Silent Witness. Archie brought trainer racehorses from overseas, and they can change the horse’s name Tony Cruz to the Horse Quarantine Station and committed the if they wish. Tight regulation by the club means that the own- racehorse to him.

56 GALLOPMAGAZINE “He was a big horse and weighed 1,250 pounds when he first came to us,” says Archie. “His dam was also huge and weighed 1,300 pounds. Cruz was very lucky because it was the first racehorse I gave to him for training.” Archie is friends with Tony’s father, Johnny Cruz, a famous rider from the amateur era. Both families are also of Portuguese descent, which is one of the reasons why Archie decided to let Tony train for him. Tony Cruz was one of the first HKJC apprentic- es in 1972. He made history in Hong Kong when he rode Co-tack to 10 consecutive wins in 1983— a record that would stand for 20 years. “At the quarantine station, Cruz told me that the horse was a champion after just seeing Silent Witness walk,” says Archie. “That was his exact word: champion. A superb horse. His conforma- tion, the way he walks. You can see it.” Silent Witness ended up winning 17 races in a row and was ranked the world’s top sprinter three seasons in a row, making him Hong Kong’s equine hero. He won the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint and six other major Group 1s, including the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan. In 2003, when the city was dealing with the SARS epidemic, schools and businesses were forced to close during the outbreak. The fighting spirit in Silent Witness lightened up the city by giving peo- The fun part is ple hope and courage. The horse was so remarkable that he was named by Time Magazine as “one of the studying the races people that mattered most in 2004.” and picking the horses At his farewell party in 2007, thousands of fans showed up at sporting imitations you think can win, of his famous black silks with the green cross, cheering for Hong Kong’s most successful and popular racehorse and then you bet. as he paraded for the final time on the turf with his partner in crime, jockey Felix Coetzee. money, it’s about the excitement when you see two horses com- ing down the straight and competing, head to head. It’s super, TODAY, SILENT WITNESS is enjoying his retirement at Living super exciting.” Legends in Australia, a home for retired champion Thoroughbreds, where fans still visit him. A life-sized bronze ALTHOUGH ARCHIE LOVES racing, his children and grandchil- statue of the horse is also located in the public forecourt of Sha dren have not followed his path. Tin Racecourse. “My daughter is a horse owner with me, but she goes racing After Silent Witness, Archie owned other racehorses such as just hoping that the horse will win and nothing else,” he says. Eye Witness, I’m a Witness and Crown Witness, but none of “She doesn’t gamble. My son only enjoys the racing facilities to them were as successful. go dining and bring his kids to play. They don’t like it. I don’t “When it comes to buying a horse, 50% is your judgment, 50 know why.” % is luck,” says Archie. “Without luck, it won’t make it. That said, Archie does not believe horse racing is a dying Although I paid a lot of money for I’m a Witness, he doesn’t do sport. He feels that the Chinese are very similar to the Japanese very well. I told David Price, ‘Dude you gave me a dud.’ ” regarding the passion for gambling. Although Archie hasn’t found another Silent Witness yet, he “It is like it’s in their blood that they like to gamble, however still enjoys racing. as opposed to Americans, Chinese don’t fancy casinos so “It’s good fun, and I really enjoy it a lot,” he says. “Like last much,” he says. “If they don’t go racing, many play mahjong at night, I went home at midnight, spent three hours going home. It is true that there is a concern that the next generation through the race book, studying the horses for the races this is not too enthusiastic about racing, but there are still many coming Saturday. The fun part is studying the races and picking places in the world where racing is a big sport, like Hong Kong, the horses you think can win, and then you bet. Dubai, Australia and Japan.” “I don’t bet a lot, and I only bet on horse racing. It’s not about Despite the Chinese love for gambling and China being the

GALLOPMAGAZINE 57 “The betting money goes to prize money and to upgrade the facilities for the racecourse. The remaining revenaue is contributed to charity. Hong Kong has the best formula in the world, and they are the biggest taxpayer to the Hong Kong government, for all since the beginning.”

engine of growth for the world’s economy, betting on horse rac- been giving money to charities and good works since 1918. In ing is still illegal in China. However, the HKJC is currently 1959, long before the industry turned professional, it set up the building the Conghua Training Centre in Guangzhou, China, Hong Kong Jockey Club (Charities) Limited to handle dona- to provide a world-class training facility. tions to charities and community projects approved by the “When complete, Conghua will host barrier trials on a week- stewards. Throughout the years, it has sponsored several large- ly basis and host racing carnivals, matching the world class scale projects. standards of integrity and competition for which the Hong “In countries with bookmakers, they are the ones making all Kong Jockey Club is famous,” said Anthony Kelly, the executive the money, and with that money the betting companies can lob- director of racing business and operations of the HKJC earlier by heavily,” says Archie. “Hence, it is not easy for the legislators this year. to get rid of them even if they would want to. In Hong Kong, Horse racing existed in ancient China long before Hong Kong from the beginning when all the riders were amateur, book- became a British colony. The Race Club was estab- makers were not allowed.” lished in 1862, and race meetings were held in an area now The 2014/15 racing season in Hong Kong ended with an in- known as People’s Square. The SRC’s activities were affected in credible record turnover of HK$107.9billion (US $13.9 billion), the 1930s during foreign invasions and civil war, and came to an and the 2015/16 season turned over HK$106.14 billion (US official end in 1949 when it was handed over to the Communist $13.7 billion). Keep in mind, all this betting comes from only Party. The site of the racecourse and club buildings have been two race courses. Today, horses trained in Hong Kong regularly subsequently replaced by other buildings. compete and do well in international races. Plus, with the high- “The horse racing model in China might be the same as the est racing revenue turnover in the world, it is not surprising that one in Hong Kong, why not?” says Archie. “The betting money top owners and riders find racing in Hong Kong irresistible and goes to prize money and to upgrade the facilities for the race- an exceptional multicultural experience that must be savoured. course. The remaining revenue is contributed to charity. Hong As the HKJC expands its footprints in China, Archie’s dream Kong has the best formula in the world, and they are the biggest is to find another Silent Witness. taxpayer to the Hong Kong government, for all since the “It is a dream; it is a pure dream,” he says. “God won’t be so beginning.” nice to give you two champions in your life, but you still have The HKJC is beyond question Hong Kong’s largest strictly that dream, that hope, that one day a horse will come along non-profit-making organization and public benefactor. It has that is another champion.”

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