$1,500,000 Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (Sponsored by AZIZI Developments)
Scott Burton
Native Approach sprang something of a surprise – albeit a hugely popular one for the UAE-based combination of trainer Ahmad bin Harmash and Connor Beasley – in running down Japanese challenger Lugal inside the final 200 metres.
Native Approach was rated 97 before his previous start but a win over several of today’s rivals in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint saw him re-rated at 109, and the ex-Godolphin inmate took another step forward here in dispatching a high-quality international field.
For Beasley the link up with Bin Harmash has been a huge boost to his career and Native Approach follows on from Dark Saffron’s G1 Golden Shaheen victory in 2025.
Beasley said of his association with Bin Harmash: “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.”
Drawn nearest the standside rail Beasley was denied any cover and forced to do his own thing with a horse he freely admitted is “not easy”.
Beasley said: “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.”
Hamdan Al Mansoori, racing manager for owner Hamdan Harmash, said: “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, but we will see [about future targets].”
Lugal emerged from the pack 400 metres from home and looked to have established a race-winning break on his pursuers, but in conditions undoubtedly made more testing by this week’s rain, Beasley timed his finishing effort to a nicety.
Jockey Katsuma Sameshima reflected: “It was a great start and I thought we won!”
Japan’s wait for a first win in the Al Quoz goes on, while Native Approach follows on from Danyah in 2023, the last time the prize stayed at home.
Result
1st – #7 NATIVE APPROACH (GB)
Jockey: Connor Beasley
Trainer: Ahmad bin Harmash
2nd – #3 Lugal (JPN) – 0.38L
3rd – #1 Lazzat (FR) – 1.58L
4th – #2 Reef Runner (USA) – 1.84L
5th – #11 Monteille (GB) – 1.96L
6th – #12 Rayevka (IRE) – 1.97L
7th – #6 Great Wish (IRE) – 2.59L
8th – #5 Cover Up (IRE) – 3.73L
9th – #4 Khaadem (IRE) – 5.13L
10th – #13 Northern Champion (IRE) – 8.67L
11th – #9 Run Boy Run (GB) – 20.57L
Non-Runners – #8 Marbaan (GB), #10 Arabie (GB)
