By Heather Anderson
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, those two battled fiercely, and, at one point, the Japanese raider looked to be going the better of the pair. Native Approach stuck to his guns as the line neared, ultimately edging his rival to win by a long neck.
Connor 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].”
A listed winner locally back in December of 2024, Native Approach failed to win in eight subsequent starts, and transferred from Godolphin and Charlie Appleby to Ahmad bin Harmash and Hamdan Harmash during that stretch. Tried on Super Saturday in the course-and-distance G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, he rattled home to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Pedigree Notes
Native Approach is the sixth Group 1 winner worldwide for Darley Europe stallion Too Darn Hot. The stallion is credited with 33 stakes winners (19 group winners). He is one of four stakes winners out of a Shamardal mare for his sire alongside G2 Edward Manifold Stakes heroine Too Darn Discreet, and German Group 3 heroine Caroline Reaper among others.
The gelding is a half-brother to G3 Burj Nahaar hero Discovery Island (Dubawi), with the duo out of the listed winner Sperry (Shamardal). Her latest foal is a juvenile full-sister to the winner.
Sperry, in turn, is a half-sister to stakes winner Dunelight (Desert Sun) and to the multiple stakes-placed Interception (Raven's Pass). Third dam Miss Gris (Hail The Pirates) claiimed the Italian 1000 Guineas and Italian Oaks when both of those races held Group 1 status.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
AL QUOZ SPRINT SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS-G1, $1,500,000, Meydan, 3-28, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:10.02, gd.
1–NATIVE APPROACH (GB), 132, g, 5, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Sperry (Ire) (SW-Eng), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Badee'a (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
3rd Dam: Miss Gris, by Hail The Pirates
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Hamdan Harmash; B-Godolphin;
T-Ahmad bin Harmash; J-Connor Beasley. $870,000. Lifetime
Record: 14-4-1-0, $1,173,400. *1/2 to Discovery Island (GB)
(Dubawi {Ire}), GSW-UAE, $352,951. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lugal (Jpn), 132, h, 6, Duramente (Jpn)–Atab (Ire), by New
Approach (Ire). O-Yoshimasa Ema; B-Mishima Bokujo; T-Haruki
Sugiyama. $300,000.
3–Lazzat (Fr), 132, g, 5, Territories (Ire)–Lastochka (GB), by
Australia (GB). (£2,250,000 RNA HRA '24 GOFLON).
O-Wathnan Racing; B-Sumbe; T-Jerome Reynier. $150,000.
Margins: NK, 1, NK.
Also Ran: Reef Runner, Monteille (GB), Rayevka (Ire), Great Wish (Ire), Cover Up (Ire), Khaadem (Ire), Northern Champion (Ire), Run Boy Run (GB). Scratched: Arabie (GB), Marbaan (GB). Click for the ERA chart. VIDEO.
A shock result at Meydan! 🤯
Native Approach leads them all the way in the Al Quoz Sprint! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KFro0xqrRK
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 28, 2026
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