Carnival winners Safety Check and Dark Emerald face-off in Group 2 Zabeel Mile

Peter Ward 21:30 25/02/2015
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  • In top form: Safety Check will be hoping to notch up another Carnival win.

    Safety Check and Dark Emerald, both with two Carnival wins to their name this year, clash in Thursday’s Group 2 Zabeel Mile, the 1,600m turf feature.

    Godolphin’s Safety Check, trained by Charlie Appleby, won the 1,400m Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort most recently, a victory for which he is penalised here, and will again be ridden by William Buick.

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    Appleby also saddles Outstrip, winner of the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2013 but winless in five subsequent starts.

    South African Mike De Kock has the best record in the race with three wins and has a trio of runners with Christophe Soumillon choosing to ride Darwin with Pat Dobbs aboard Johann Strauss and Johnny Geroudis on Anaerobio.

    Trainer Mike de Kock has the best record in the race and will be looking to continue that feat on Thursday.

    Soumillon’s mount is seeking to win on a third continent having won in America and Ireland.

    The 1,900m Group 3 UAE Oaks is the main support race but has only attracted six runners, two trained by Godolphin stalwart Saeed bin Suroor. He has already saddled the winner of this race on nine occasions and it will be something of a surprise if he does not reach double figures this year.

    His UAE 1000 Guineas first and second, Local Time and Good Place, are back in opposition with stable jockey James Doyle unsurprisingly staying loyal to the former.

    Should they both fail, Godolphin still look to have the most likely alternative in the Appleby-trained Yodelling, fourth in the UAE 1000 Guineas.

    The De Kock-trained Shahrasal, a place in front of Yodelling the last time out but well beaten by the Bin Suroor duo, is another who should appreciate the extra distance over 300m.

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