Racing
Dark Saffron starts season in style
Last season’s Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Dark Saffron started the season in excellent fashion with a victory in the opening race of the 2025-26 Dubai Racing Carnival.
The three-year-old rose to prominence during last season, working his way through the grades before a promising fifth behind West Acre in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf in early March. A seven-length conditions victory followed, but he was considered an outsider in a strong Dubai Golden Shaheen field on World Cup night.
Ahmad bin Harmash's charge was ridden positively by regular jockey Connor Beasley, making all for a landmark first Group 1 success for both the horse and trainer. It was a similar performance on his seasonal return in the Emirates Airlines Conditions, dominating throughout for a four-and-a-half length victory.
"It was a good starting point and well chosen by the boss," said Beasley. "It was better than ten gallops at home. He's strengthened up a fair bit. He's a horse with a lot of class and a lot of ability and he improved race by race last season.
"He's run on the turf and the dirt but he's an out and out dirt horse."
The victory was part of a double on the card for trainer bin Harmash, who won the Emirates Courier Express Maiden with Union Security.
"He was very professional: jumped, travelled, switched leads, I was very impressed," said jockey Sam Hitchcott..
"He's bred for this and will get further, so we'll take it one step at a time. There's still room for him to tighten up and strengthen up, which will come with racing."
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