Hong Kong: Trainer Hayes has solid day with Naboo Attack, Nervous Witness
The first day of David Hayes’ second season back training in Hong Kong went exceedingly well Sunday. Hayes won three races, including the feature, on Sha Tin's opening day of the 2021-22 season.
Hayes, who twice topped the Hong Kong training standings before returning to his native Australia for several years, sent out a pair of very promising horses Sunday in Naboo Attack and first-time starter Nervous Witness.
Jockey Karis Teetan extricated Naboo Attack from traffic in upper stretch of the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap and the massive gelding took care of business from there, going his final 400 meters in 21.50 seconds to record a one-length victory.
Weighing in for this start at 1,377 pounds, 144 pounds more than the next-heaviest runner, Naboo Attack carried a feathery 113-pound impost, getting as much a 20 pounds from his more accomplished rivals.
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Imported from Australia for a 2020-21 campaign, Naboo Attack won his only start during the last Hong Kong racing season before he was scratched lame from an intended run June 26. Out of action until Sunday, Naboo Attack clocked 1:08.11 for 1,200 meters as Lucky Patch and Duke Wai finished inches apart for second.
Naboo Attack, a 5-year-old gelding by Warhead out of Commanding Queen, by Commands, won five of seven starts in Australia before being exported. Hayes said after Sunday’s win that he’d target the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint in December with Naboo Attack.
Nervous Witness got as far as running a training race last Hong Kong season, but Hayes held him out of real racing until Sunday, debuting the 4-year-old gelding in a 1,000-meter straight-course Class 4 handicap. Breaking alertly under Zac Purton, Nervous Witness made the lead and was guided to the stand’s side rail, where he proceeded to widen to a three-length victory while Purton never moved a muscle. By Star Witness out of the War Pass mare Hadiklaim, Nervous Witness clocked 55.71 as the hot favorite.
“He’ll go through the classes pretty quickly, I think,” Hayes said. “I expect him to win a few in a row.”