Two-time Hong Kong Champion Trainer Tony Cruz reached another milestone in his storied career as Key Witness gave him a 1000th training success today, Sunday, 1 February, 2015.
Cruz enjoyed a double on the 10-race Sha Tin card. The Alvin Ng-ridden Multimax in Race 5, the Class 4 Tai Hing Handicap (1200m), brought the trainer to the 999 mark and Cruz did not have to wait long for the landmark 1000th win as Douglas Whyte piloted Key Witness to victory in Race 7, the Class 1 Tin Shui Handicap (1200m). The trainer was in good form overall with a second and a third too from eight runners.
“Winning 1000 races as a trainer in Hong Kong is a great accomplishment. I would like to thank Dougie Whyte and Archie da Silva (owner) for giving me this 1000th win," said a delighted Cruz.
Key Witness was notching a second notable success after his win in the Class 2 Hong Kong Jockey Club 130th Anniversary Cup (1200m) three weeks ago. The gelding showed impeccable timing to send another landmark win Cruz's way. The only man to be champion jockey and champion trainer in Hong Kong was especially pleased that long-time patron da Silva was again involved.
"Archie has been such a good owner to me, I trained Silent Witness for him. You can see the horse today has improved and the time was faster," Cruz said, adding that a Group 3 race is now on the agenda.
Cruz won the Hong Kong Champion Jockey title six times during an illustrious career in the saddle and was also Champion Apprentice twice. He commenced his training career in the 1996/1997 season and since then he has trained a number of great horses such as the great Silent Witness, multiple Group 1-winner Bullish Luck, dual Hong Kong Cup (2000m) hero California Memory and Lucky Owners who won the 2004 HKG1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m). He also made Hong Kong proud when he saddled Silent Witness to win the 2005 G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama Racecourse and added the following year's G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) with Bullish Luck at Tokyo Racecourse.
Today's feature race, the Class 3 Yan Oi Tong Cup (1000m), went to the Richard Gibson-trained Jetwings who maintained his unbeaten tag in making it two from two.
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Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2, 3: Trainer Tony Cruz celebrates his achievement of reaching the 1,000th Hong Kong winner benchmark as a trainer with the connections of Key Witness.
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Photo 2
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Photo 3
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