Silent Witness goes for title defense in Sprint

SILENT WITNESS (El Moxie) will be odds-on to make it 13 for

13 on Sunday while going for a title defense in the Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1).

Following his victory in this last December, the Australian-bred gelding swept

the three-race Champion Sprint Series before earning a well-deserved vacation.

The bay made a triumphant return to action following a seven-month absence with

a one-length victory in the International Sprint Trial (HK-G2) on November 21.

"He's a physically stronger horse than he was last year," trainer Tony Cruz

said. "He came out of his win in the Sprint Trial very well and obviously his

defense of this race has always been the target."

Silent Witness completed his preparation for this with a 400-meter blowout

over the all-weather on Thursday in :21.3.

VAR (Forest Wildcat), the former U.S. claiming horse, looms the biggest

threat to the favorite. Rated just four pounds below Silent Witness in the

International Classifications, the bay lost to THE TATLING (Perugino) by a head

in the World Trophy (Eng-G3) at Newbury before turning the tables on that rival,

ROYAL MILLENNIUM (Royal Academy) and OSTERHASE (Flying Spur) by a half-length in

the Prix de l'Abbaye (Fr-G1).

The Japanese have never factored in this event, but have their best chances

this year in the form of Sprinters' S. (Jpn-G1) hero CALSTONE LIGHT O (Warning

[GB]) and Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Jpn-G1) winner SUNNINGDALE (Warning [GB]).