Dark Saffron stuns favourites to land Dubai Golden Shaheen glory

A masterful ride by Connor Beasley saw long-time leader Dark Saffron saw shock success in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

- 

Dark Saffron’s stunning win sealed a sensational Group 1 double for Beasley, who had already kicked off the campaign in style by guiding First Classs to victory in the opening race of the Dubai World Cup - Kahayla Classic.

The presence of two three-year-olds in the race for the first time since 2006 was already a talking point pre-race. Only five three-year-olds have contested the race in Northern Hemisphere and only two of them were bred in the Northern Hemisphere: My Catch, 11th in 2014, and Dios Corridas, 11th in 2017.

Of the two Japanese talent American Starlet appeared the vastly superior chance, although neither were seen as likely to challenge defending champion Tuz or champion American sprinter Straight No Chaser.