By Alan Carasso
Safety Check (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), one of two Champions Mile hopefuls for Godolphin, turned in the flashiest piece of work Friday morning. The clean chestnut was partnered once again with Classic-winning jockey Willie Ryan and the duo galloped along easily down the backstretch before getting more serious on the home turn. Again, with the dogs out wide on the course, Safety Check began to lengthen his stride and whooshed home his final 400 metres in :21.5, likely the fastest final sectional of the week.
“Both horses, Safety Check and Bow Creek (Ire) (Shamardal), look to have settled in really well and we're delighted to be here,” commented Godolphin's Henry Plumptre. “Sheikh Mohammed considers it important to have runners in races like these in Hong Kong.
He added candidly, “The Mile looks strong and I'm not sure we can win it, but I would think both horses have at least a place chance.”
Safety Check has something to find on official ratings, but if able to reproduce the same form which saw him record repeat victories in the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and G2 Zabeel Mile, he could be in with a shout.
Trainer John O'Shea, who will send out Bow Creek for Sheikh Mohammed, reported his charge to be back to near his optimum weight and is hopeful the G2 Peter Young S. hero can “run a cheeky race.”
Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) was first to emerge from the quarantine stables Friday morning and definitely wanted to get down to business, tossing his head about as he galloped along. He was finally given his head turning for home and breezed up the straight in :23.7 with a final 200m in :11.2.
“He always gets a touch keen in his work; same as at home,” reported John Hawkes, who trains the grey with his sons Michael and Wayne. “He's happy. It's no easy task on Sunday taking on the very good locals and old Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) who's still winning Group 1 races, but we're happy with our horse.”
Buffering galloped about a lap and a half over the all-weather, looking very much as attentive and willing as he did Thursday. Before heading off the track, he stood at the outside rail and posed quietly for photos. Trainer Rob Heathcote remains quietly confident that the 8-year-old can post a second straight score on foreign soil.
“I'm very happy with him,” he commented. “His coat's great and he's very well in himself.”
The other two international runners, Champions Mile favorite Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) and GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) were kept in the quarantine stables as originally planned.
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