Ahmad bin Harmash

Dramatically off form for the bulk of the 2025-2026 Dubai Racing Carnival, Sultan Ali's Dark Saffron (Flameaway) was put right into play from a wide draw in defence of his title in Saturday's $2-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and outsprinted reigning GI Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Bentornato (Valiant Minister) to give jockey Connor Beasley and trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash a rolling Group 1 double. The pair teamed to win the Al Quoz Sprint with Native Approach about 35 minutes earlier. Defeated by a combined 50 lengths after taking his seasonal...

Campaigned exclusively on straight courses for his entire career, Native Approach (Too Darn Hot) ran out a game winner of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by AZIZI Developments. He held a determined Lugal (Duramente) to a neck at the line with Lazzat (Territories) another 1 1/4 lengths back in third for the 1200-metre grass affair. Always part of the vanguard closest to the stands, Native Approach was joined at the front by Rayevka (Blue Point) on the other wing. Hooked by Lugal to his inside at the midway point,...

In this series, we will have a look predominantly at American-bred first-time starters in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan, which hosts racing on Fridays through the end of March, with the exception of Super Saturday on Feb. 28 and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, 2026. Here are the horses of note for this Friday's program at Meydan: Friday, January 9, 2026 2nd-MEY, AED165,000 ($45k), Maiden,...

It's been a torrid beginning to 2025 for champion freshman sire Vekoma, who racked up yet another potentially important horse when Golden Vekoma ran out a good-looking winner of Friday's UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Sponsored by Kentucky Derby, a 1400-meter contest run under allowance conditions at Meydan. Making his first start since finishing a distant third in a 1600-meter maiden Dec. 6, the bay colt broke running from a double-digit gate and parked right off the speed in a three-wide third, then dropped down into the two path when the...

In this series, we will have a look at first-time starters entered for age-restricted maiden races on the week's main live program at Meydan Racecourse, focusing specifically on pedigree and/or performance in sales ring, both domestic and abroad. With the exception of Thursday, Dec. 1, Super Saturday, Mar. 4, and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 25, the main meeting at Meydan takes place on Fridays. Six meetings are to be staged at the UAE's flagship racecourse prior to the start of the Dubai World Cup Carnival Friday, Jan. 6, 2023....