Having been learning to fly gliders for the last couple of years, I can confirm Kegbuster's comment that downwind checks are generally discouraged.
The reason I was given was it was basically good airmanship to dump water ballast and get your wheel down prior entering a circuit, I didn't have flaps on take off (I learned on K13s), and was therefore unlikely to have sprouted them in the course of flight, speed should be sorted before the circuit starts too, and that takes care of trim. Airbrakes are there, put your hand on the lever, and open them if you want, and landing (area clear) and lookout are basically the same thing, and that is what I should be concentrating on.
At some point I'll fly something with a retractable undercarrige and eventually flaps, but the advice I was given there was, before starting a circuit, ask yourself, "Have I done everything I need to do before landing?"