Safe Passage (Picture: JC Photos). 

Last season’s Grade 1 Daily News 2000 winner Safe Passage ran an improved second in a 1600m Pinnacle event at Turffontein Standside today (Thursday).

Although, he did not perform to his best he was making late progress and finished three lengths behind the progressive Stuart Pettigrew-trained Rafeef gelding Whafeef, to whom he gave 10kg.

It was an encouraging bounce back from his dismal run in the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes in which he was tailed off throughout.

The 1600m trip looks palpably too sharp for the Silvano gelding nowadays.

His win in last season’s Daily News 2000 came when he was still “underdone” and he was full of running that day.

So he should run a cracker next time out even if something is left in the tank for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

The sponsors of the July were impressed enough with today’s performance to keep Safe Passage firm at 8/1 joint second favourite.