Weather Check

Denied a run in the G2 Hungerford S. at Newbury last month after a deluge hit Berkshire, Godolphin’s Safety Check (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) may have a going concern on Saturday as well as he is prepared for Doncaster’s G2 Park S. Successful over this trip and a mile, respectively, in the Jan. 22 G2 Al Fahidi Fort and Feb. 26 G2 Zabeel Mile on Meydan’s turf track, he was third under a four-pound penalty in Goodwood’s G2 Qatar Lennox S. over seven last time July 28. Trainer Charlie Appleby remains cautious about his prospects of making the line-up with wet weather forecast and said, “We were delighted with Safety Check’s run in the Lennox S., considering he had to miss a few engagements due to the ground. Unfortunately we are back on weather watch as they are expecting some rain at the track early tomorrow, and it has been well documented he is a fast-ground horse. He doesn’t have a four-pound penalty to carry this time and if the surface stays sound, he would have a great chance.”

Also missing from the Hungerford was Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}), who will be trying a new trip now that his nose has been bloodied on two occasions over a furlong less. Playing second fiddle to two Shadwell heavyweights in Adaay (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock May 30 and the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 19, he will be pulled out again if the ground deteriorates. “It’s always difficult to keep a horse in peak form when you have four aborted attempts over many months, but he does seem nice and fresh still,” commented trainer Henry Candy, who managed to keep Limato in top order last term in a similar scenario. “He’s a hyperactive horse who keeps himself pretty fit and doesn’t take a huge amount of galloping. He keeps himself ticking along quite happily. Stepping up to seven furlongs has been in the back of our minds. The sire has produced good milers and he really ought to get seven. He’s been a little slowly away once or twice, so that rather pushed us in that direction.”

If Safety Check misses out, Godolphin still have a live contender in Lightning Moon (Ire) (Shamardal) from the Ed Walker stable, and last year’s G3 Bengough S. winner is reappearing after a five-month break, having finished seventh in the May 13 G2 Duke of York S. “He is in tip-top form and I am very happy with him. I am looking forward to the forecast rain in the morning,” Walker commented. “Hopefully this is a stepping stone on to bigger and better things with the [Oct. 4] G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp our big target. He may just need the run to put him spot on, but he is fit enough to do himself justice and we are looking forward to stepping him up to seven furlongs.” Flemington Bloodstock Partnership’s Home of the Brave (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) showed what a potent force he is from the front over this specialist trip when annexing the July 19 G3 Minstrel S. at The Curragh when last seen, while another sophomore who has much to commend him is Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}). Given his third placings in both the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas, last year’s G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. winner has been disappointing when subsequently 14th in the June 17 G3 Jersey S. over this trip at Royal Ascot and seventh in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, but trainer Richard Hannon is keeping the faith. “We have been forced to repeatedly take him out this summer because of testing conditions, but we are desperate to run if the heavy rain misses Yorkshire,” he explained. “He had a nice break after disappointing at Royal Ascot and then nothing went right in Deauville, but he is fresh and well and raring to go. He is such a good mover that he’ll always be most effective on good ground.”