Shaheen champ back at Meydan

Dark Saffron, shock 40-1 winner of the Golden Shaheen, is the headline act when he makes his eagerly awaited comeback on an all dirt card at Meydan today, the opening fixture of the new season at Dubai's iconic track.

- Ed Marnane

Ahmad bin Harmash’s stable star, the mount of Connor Beasley, has not been seen since causing a massive surprise when defeating Nakatomi and 2024 winner Tuz in the Group 1 dirt sprint showpiece on the Dubai World Cup undercard in April.

He faces just four rivals in the opening race, the 1200m conditions race on dirt, and is confident selection to justify long odds-on on his first appearance in seven months.

Race 5, the 1600m Handicap, is the most valuable race on the card and looks wide-open. Jebel Ali-based Australian trainer Michael Costa has started the season with a bang, saddling three winners at his local track Jebel Ali last Saturday before Faattik took Costa’s tally to six for the new campaign at Abu Dhabi Turf Club 24 hours later.

He saddles lightly raced Arabic Legend, winner of one of his seven runs in the UK for Karl Burke.

He makes his UAE/dirt debut returning from a lengthy layoff having been off the track since contesting a barrier trial at Meydan in January. Being by Dubawi, he is bred for dirt but with doubts over his fitness, he can be opposed, despite the terrific form of the stable.

Al Jaddaf, the choice of Beasley, looks the main hope of Ahmad bin Harmash’s three runners. A winner over the course and distance, he has sound claims of snapping a lengthy losing run and registering his first win since December 2023.