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Safety Check secures Al Fahidi Fort
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| Safety Check set a new
course record while earning his first stakes score in the Al
Fahidi Fort
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Godolphin's Safety Check (Dubawi) made it two-for-two this
Carnival with a course-record romp in Thursday's feature, the $250,000 Al Fahidi
Fort (UAE-G2). A daylight winner of a handicap over the Meydan turf and about
seven-furlong trip on the January 8 opener, the Charlie Appleby charge quickened
stylishly down the lane to earn his first career stakes victory.
Thus was halted Mike de Kock's domination of the Al Fahidi
Fort. The race's winningest trainer with a total of six trophies -- including the
last three -- had a trio of chances to extend his sway. But the best they could
muster was a third by Zahee (Dylan Thomas), with defending champion Anaerobio
(Catcher in the Rye) a troubled fourth and classy South African Red Ray (Western
Winter) a tiring seventh in his Dubai bow.
Safety Check, who was ridden by apprentice Cam Hardie last
time, picked up William Buick for the Al Fahidi Fort. Breaking alertly, the
four-year-old then settled into a comfortable stalking spot as Modern History
(Shamardal) took over the pacesetting role. Red Ray prompted the issue until his
lack of fitness surfaced in the stretch, and the razor-sharp Safety Check burst
from the pack. Drawing four lengths clear, he clocked 1:23.09 to set the new
mark.
Eastern Rules closed for best of the rest, followed by the
aforementioned Zahee and Anaeorobio, who was caught in traffic
for a time.
"You cannot help but be impressed with that," Buick said of
Safety Check. "I was always happy and he quickened nicely."
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"We knew the horse was in rude health," Appleby noted, "and were very hopeful of
a big run but we could not have expected him to win such a good race so well.
"He loves the 1400-meter trip, stays 1600 meters, but has
the pace for 1200 meters, so we have options. We will go for the Zabeel Mile
([UAE-G2] on February 26) next."
Safety Check's resume now reads 19-7-5-0, $423,250.
Runner-up in the 2013 Silver Tankard during his productive juvenile campaign,
the chestnut was fourth in last year's U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) and
10th in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2). He spent the bulk of his time in handicaps
back in England, notably capturing a pair of seven-furlong events at Glorious
Goodwood and Ascot, respectively.
Bred by Malih al Basti in Ireland, Safety Check was
purchased for $202,689 as a weanling at Tattersalls December. The aptly named
colt is out of Doors to Manual (Royal Academy), an unraced half-sister to Group
1-winning sire Marchand de Sable (Theatrical).
Godolphin doubled up one race later in the nightcap, when
Al Saham (Authorized) just parried the late thrust of Fire Fighting (Soldier of
Fortune) in a cavalry charge to the line. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor and
piloted by Adrie de Vries, the six-year-old upstaged his more accomplished
stablemate, Excellent Result (Shamardal), who was a one-paced fifth under the
co-top weight of 132 pounds. Al Saham negotiated about 1 1/2 grassy miles in
2:33 1/5, upping his line to 15-6-1-0, $135,892. The handicapper had not been
seen since trailing in the Silver Cup at York on July 12.
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| Umgiyo rallied from last to
give Mike de Kock a win on Thursday's undercard
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
De Kock got to celebrate a win on the undercard courtesy of
the progressive South African import Umgiyo (Danehill Dancer). Although winless
since his unveiling at Scottsville as a juvenile, the Australian-bred gelding
had competed in good company, finishing fourth in the 2013 Premier's Champion
(SAf-G1) and seventh behind Triple Crown hero Louis the King (Black Minnaloushe)
in the S A Classic (SAf-G1). Unraced in the interim, Umgiyo could have been
expected to need this comeback, but he unleashed a strong kick from the rear of
the field to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. Christophe Soumillon guided Umgiyo
through about 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 1/5 on the turf.
"He picked up nicely when I asked him," Soumillon said. "They went pretty
quick which has helped him. He had been working well so we were quite hopeful.
He will improve for the outing as well."
Umgiyo now sports a mark of 9-2-0-2, $81,331. A full
brother to Group 2-placed Queen Mira, he is out of the Sadler's Wells mare
Celtic Queen, herself a full sister to Group 1 winner Alberto Giacometti.
Trainer Satish Seemar continued his good run by saddling
the top two in the evening's richest dirt event, a $150,000 handicap, plundered
by the longshot Toolain (Diktat). Making his second start back with Seemar
following a stint in Saudi Arabia, the seven-year-old veteran responded to the
addition of blinkers, and a contentious early pace. Under apprentice Marc
Monaghan, Toolain rolled from well back to score by two lengths from stablemate
Farrier (Tapit).
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"If you look at his form in Saudi Arabia he was third to
the very useful Ron the Greek (Full Mandate) in November (the Student's Cup),
which was a very good effort," Monaghan offered.
Toolain set a new track record of 2:05 4/5 for about 1 1/4
miles on the Meydan dirt. Unplaced at Jebel Ali January 9 in his prior start, he has compiled a record of 33-6-2-2, $190,748. His
lone stakes credit came as a juvenile in 2010, a victory in Ascot's Winkfield S.
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| Tamarkuz's dam is a
half-sister to Stay Thirsty
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum also enjoyed a one-two
result with his colorbearers, likewise in record time on the new dirt. The
Musabah al Muhairi-trained Tamarkuz (Speightstown) spurted 4 1/2 lengths clear
of the old warhorse Haatheq (Seeking the Gold) from the Ali Rashid al Raihe
yard. Tamarkuz negotiated the metric mile in 1:37 2/5, bettering the time of
1:38 1/5 established by Surfer (Distorted Humor) in the January 8 Maktoum
Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G2). Haatheq had been third to Surfer on that occasion.
"He has plenty of ability and won well," jockey Dane
O'Neill said. "He is not the most straightforward at the gates but hopefully
there is more to come from him."
Tamarkuz, who was coming off a second to unbeaten Faulkner
(Pivotal) on January 8, has earned $124,825 from his 10-4-2-0 line. The
Kentucky-bred is the first registered foal from the unraced Without You Babe
(Lemon Drop Kid), a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Stay
Thirsty (Bernardini).
In the opener, Beat Baby (Johannesburg) handed Norwegian
trainer Niels Petersen his first U.A.E. winner, courtesy of a front-running
success beneath Per-Anders Graberg. The eight-year-old Irish-bred held Speed
Hawk (Henny Hughes) at bay by 1 1/2 lengths, finishing about six furlongs on
dirt in 1:12 2/5.
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Petersen also sent out fourth-placer Over the Ocean
(Rockport Harbor), and the duo represented his 74th and 75th starters here.
"It has been a long time coming," Petersen said. "This horse was a very close
second last year and it is just superb to get that winner on the board. He has
really taken well to the Meydan dirt and it is a big result for the whole team
and Scandinavia."
Beat Baby, a two-time stakes winner in Sweden, was most
recently third as the defending champion in the September 14 Taby Open Sprint
Championship. His scorecard stands at 39-12-4-9, $280,279.
Rookie trainer Salem bin Ghadayer got off the mark in the
program's non-Carnival race, an about 10-furlong dirt handicap, where Hunting
Ground (Street Cry) drew off by 4 1/2 lengths. With stable jockey Mickael
Barzalona in the saddle, the son of multiple Grade 1 heroine Panty Raid
(Include) took 2:06 2/5 to make his Dubai debut a winning one. Hunting Ground,
who was previously in England with Mark Johnston, claims a record of 21-4-2-2,
$74,353.
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