With a fifth-place effort or better in Sunday's G1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin, Godolphin's Safety Check (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will become racing's newest millionaire. While that would be a noble career achievement, connections will be looking for much better, as the 5-year-old is set to take on the likes of G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile hero Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) and a host of talented locals.
Safety Check has amassed an imposing career record, with 10 wins from 24 trips to the post, though he has clearly done his best work at the Dubai World Cup Carnival. He ran the table in three appearances in 2015, winning the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and G2 Zabeel Mile, then was a close third to the classy Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) in the G2 Lennox S. first off a five-month hiatus last July. Well beaten in the G2 Weber Park S. in his seasonal finale in September, he successfully defended his titles in the Al Fahidi Fort and in the Zabeel Mile and goes fresh into the Champions Mile.
Beneath track rider and English Derby-winning former jockey Willie Ryan, Safety Check galloped over 1200 metres of the Sha Tin turf Wednesday morning in 1:24.9 with a final quarter-mile in a solid :24.5.
“He feels very well, although the track was a touch soft for his liking,” said Ryan.
James McDonald will be in from Australia to ride Safety Check for trainer Charlie Appleby.
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