Native Approach Lands Al Quoz Sprint Victory
Native Approach And Lugal Outrun The Field
The Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan delivers one of the results of the evening as Native Approach, prepared by Ahmad bin Harmash, leads from the front to claim the US$1,500,000 contest under Connor Beasley, turning over a field of international sprint specialists on Dubai World Cup night.
The 5YO Too Darn Hot gelding, running only his second career start over 1,200 metres, proves far too strong for the Japanese raider Lugal in second, with pre-race favourite Lazzat finishing third and well beaten despite arriving as the highest-rated runner in the field on an official mark of 120.
Beasley produces a front-running masterclass from draw 12, setting a true gallop from the outset and stretching the field decisively in the final furlong. The margin of victory is authoritative, and the result marks a landmark moment for UAE racing, with a locally trained sprinter outrunning internationally recognised Group One winners to collect the most prestigious sprint prize in the region.
Speaking about his long-standing association with bin Harmash, Beasley reflected on the partnership that has produced back-to-back Group One winners on Dubai World Cup night. "This is the eighth season. I came over as a second jockey to him and everything fell into place, right place, right time. He's been a big supporter and put plenty of trust in me. It just shows, when a team clicks, it goes through to the horses too."
Bin Harmash Maps Route To Sprint Glory
The path to this Group One success takes shape on Super Saturday at Meydan, when Native Approach drops to 1,200 metres for the first time in his career and wins the Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint with authority under Beasley. The performance, a revelation of pure speed from a horse who had never run below 1,400 metres, opens a bold avenue for bin Harmash and persuades the trainer to aim directly at the showpiece sprint on Dubai World Cup night rather than take the safer route of handicap company.
Speaking after that Super Saturday success, bin Harmash outlined his intentions. "The plan will be the Al Quoz Sprint," he said. "We ran him at seven furlongs and we ran him at a mile but he is so keen, we can hardly saddle him. We were thinking to run in a handicap next week, but the speed he shows in the yard we thought we would try this. He traveled all the way so easy and won really well." (Dubai Racing Club)
The victory hands bin Harmash a second Group One triumph on Dubai World Cup night, following Dark Saffron's success in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in April 2025. Operating out of Al Aasfa Racing Stables, the Emirati trainer has steadily elevated his operation over the past decade, demonstrating an increasingly sharp eye for identifying horses capable of performing at a higher level than their official ratings might suggest.
Racing manager for owner Hamdan Harmash, paid tribute to the trainer's judgement in plotting the route to Al Quoz glory. "This is the best day! Ahmad is very good at picking out the right races for his horses. After he arrived he was running over longer but he always showed a lot of speed so then he dropped him back to six furlongs [1200 metres]. Ahmad loves to sit with the jockeys and the owners and make a plan after the race. He came from Godolphin and is an experienced traveller."
Lazzat Fails To Fire As Rivals Disappoint
The anticipated showdown between Lazzat and Reef Runner, heavily promoted as the headline collision in the build-up to the race, fails to produce the drama connections had hoped for. Lazzat, the top-ranked runner with an official mark of 120, finds himself unable to sustain his effort in the closing stages under James Doyle and finishes third, suggesting the Jerome Reynier-trained gelding is unable to reproduce his best form at Meydan despite carrying Group One victories at Ascot and Deauville into the race.
Lugal, the 6YO Duramente horse representing Japan under Katsuma Sameshima, emerges with the greatest credit from the international contingent, running on with genuine purpose inside the final furlong to secure second place. Haruki Sugiyama's raider carries Group One credentials from Japan's Sprinters Stakes and builds on that form to produce a performance underlining the strength of Japan's sprinting division at the highest level on the international stage.
Sameshima acknowledged how close his charge came to causing the bigger upset, reflecting with candour after the line. "It was a great start and I thought we won!"
Reef Runner, carrying considerable expectations following his Group Two victory over Lazzat at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, fails to figure among the principals. The highly anticipated European versus American sprint rivalry ultimately dissolves, as both of the principal pre-race contenders fail to deliver on their billing and leave the prize to a UAE-trained gelding whose affinity for the straight sprint course at Meydan had only been identified in the weeks prior to Dubai World Cup night.
Beasley, whose association with the bin Harmash stable has produced multiple successes throughout the current Meydan season, completes the task with considerable composure.
Drawn nearest the standside rail, the rider was forced to do his own work without cover throughout. "He's a bundle of speed, when I first sat on him at the start of the season I said to the boss that he feels like a sprinter. He puts his heart on his sleeve every morning, he's not easy. When I won on him on Super Saturday, I got a little bit of a tow into the race. Today, there was nothing able to take me so it was one of them, the more you fight with them, the more energy you'll lose. So I just got him in a nice rhythm, I let him slip away from the 400m and once the Japanese horse came to me, he was very determined," Beasley said.
Dropping to the shortest trip of his career, Native Approach confirms that bold training decision by producing the most compelling performance of his career, delivering one of the more memorable upsets of the 30th Dubai World Cup meeting and underlining the continued development of UAE training at the top level of international racing.
Al Quoz Sprint 2026 Results
1st. Native Approach (T: Ahmad bin Harmash / J: Connor Beasley)
2nd. Lugal (T: Haruki Sugiyama / J: Katsuma Sameshima)
3rd. Lazzat (T: Jerome Reynier / J: James Doyle)