Tag Archive for: Asfoora

Asfoora powers to Nunthorpe victory for Australia

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Australian speedster Asfoora tasted success on British soil once again when blazing her way to victory in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Henry Dwyer’s horse of a lifetime was a Royal Ascot winner when adding spice to the sprinting scene last year and the enduring enterprise of connections was rewarded on the Knavesmire, as the 11-1 shot bettered last year’s fourth in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

Always ideally placed following the blistering pace set by Karl Burke’s Night Raider, Asfoora hit top gear with a furlong to run, scorching a length and a quarter clear of Kevin Ryan’s 100-1 shot Ain’t Nobody, who finished well for second. William Knight’s Frost At Dawn was third.

Dwyer said: “I’d love to see the replay because it looked like she won quite convincingly.

“When you know they are going to win at the two-furlong marker you are sort of on pretty good terms with yourself. It was an easy watch and it was great to be around a lot of friends, really enjoyable.

“It’s just an incredible buzz to be validated with what you think. It was a little bit dicey and people were doubting her, but we didn’t really lose faith.

“It’s always hard to keep faith when they aren’t winning, but we knew there were no excuses coming into today – it was win or be retired basically, and she’s done the job.”

Henry Dwyer (left) with Asfoora after winning the Nunthorpe
Henry Dwyer (left) with Asfoora after winning the Nunthorpe (Richard Sellers/PA)

Having become only the second Australian-trained winner of the Nunthorpe after Ortensia’s victory in 2012, Asfoora’s stay in Europe is set to continue into the early autumn, with next month’s Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp under consideration.

“The Flying Five in Ireland and the Prix de l’Abbaye in France (are options), if she comes through this well,” Dwyer added.

“At this stage, she’s a seven-year-old mare, and she may tell us she doesn’t want to be there any more, but off the back of that result you can’t say that is the case.”

He went on: “We never set out to come over here, there were just no options back in Australia. Australian racing is amazing and the prize-money is amazing, but it just doesn’t quite cater for five-furlong horses like they do over here.

“We are under no illusions – we aren’t Black Caviar or Ortensia. But she’s picked her mark and she’s tough and she turns up and runs her race when the circumstances are right and she’s done that today.

“Ortensia is the only Australia sprinter to win the Nunthorpe before and it’s probably the second biggest sprint in Europe, so it’s amazing for us to win it too.”

Asfoora carrying plenty of stable confidence for second crack at Goodwood sprint

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Henry Dwyer is confident Australian ace Asfoora is in the perfect place to secure King George Qatar Stakes redemption after being agonisingly denied at the Qatar Goodwood Festival 12 months ago.

The Antipodean speedster stuck around on British soil after her famous Royal Ascot win in the King Charles III Stakes last year and although out of luck at this year’s Royal meeting, her team are confident of bettering last year’s short-head defeat on Friday.

Dwyer said: “The conditions of the race are a lot more suitable this year and she has a bit less weight without the Group One penalty she had last year and the main opposition, Time For Sandals and Big Mojo, both have quite a bit of weight for their age and are dropping back from six furlongs to five furlongs.

“So I think the race sets up well for us, it’s just a case of whether she can find her best and if she finds it, I think she goes very close to winning and if she’s for some reason a length or two below her best, I still think she will still be right there.

“She’s nice and relaxed again after Ascot and we gave her two weeks out in the paddock after that to help her settle in a bit more and she seems in a good space.

“I think there’s definitely more to come and I do think she will improve again in three weeks’ time for York, but she’s on an upward curve and is going the right way and hopefully she is in very good shape for this race.”

It was Mick Appleby’s Big Evs who denied Asfoora in this last year and the Rutland handler, who has formed a great friendship with his Australian counterpart, looks to be a thorn in Dwyer’s side once again with July Stakes runner-up and course and distance scorer Big Mojo.

Big Mojo excelled at Goodwood last year
Big Mojo excelled at Goodwood last year (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“He’s in great order and hopefully we can go and win the race again,” said Appleby.

“He’s got plenty of pace and I think at Goodwood it will definitely suit him dropping back to five furlongs and on form he should have a very good chance.

“Asfoora is probably the one to beat, but I think we will be thereabouts anyway.”

Joining Big Mojo in reverting back to five furlongs is Time For Sandals who was one half of Harry Eustace’s memorable Royal Ascot Group One double when landing the Commonwealth Cup.

Time For Sandals was a Royal Ascot scorer for Harry Eustace
Time For Sandals was a Royal Ascot scorer for Harry Eustace (John Walton/PA)

However, like Appleby, the Newmarket handler has few concerns about the shorter distance and said: “The big question mark is obviously going back to a sharp five for her having won over a stiff six at Ascot.

“Personally, I don’t think it will be a problem and Richard (Kingscote) is pretty positive she’ll be fine over it too, but if we’re going to find her out this year it will be in this race.”

Also expected to thrive on one of the fastest five-furlong tracks in the country is Karl Burke’s Night Raider who is backed to showcase his blistering cruising speed.

“When we were buying him I always thought this was the race for him,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.

“He’s very fast and Goodwood is a very quick five as we know. It didn’t work at Ascot for him, but I do think this will be right up his alley.”

Celandine won the Lowther Stakes last summer
Celandine won the Lowther Stakes last summer (Mike Egerton/PA)

Meanwhile Ed Walker’s Lowther Stakes winner Celandine will bid to make up for lost time after being kept on the sidelines in the first half of the season.

“It’s been a very frustrating year with her so far,” said Walker.

“The plan was to go to Newmarket for the Kilvington as a prep for the Commonwealth Cup. The form from the Lowther was obviously rock solid in the Commonwealth Cup with Time For Sandals winning, so it was pretty heartbreaking being sidelined with a throat infection which dragged on and on.

“We got her back for York in the Summer Stakes, she ran a big race. She was hassled all the way, which wasn’t ideal. She didn’t get the kind of easy lead she likes but still battled on well to finish third and proved that she’s trained on and she’s back.

“She had a good blow and she’ll come on a lot for that run. I’m not afraid to bring her back to five, so I think she’ll be a danger in a wide-open sprint division.”

No King Charles repeat for Asfoora but still rest of the summer to look forward to

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Henry Dwyer is looking forward to another summer campaign on British turf with Asfoora, after his Australian speedster put up a creditable defence of her crown in the King Charles III Stakes.

The six-year-old scorched the Berkshire turf to emerge victorious at Royal Ascot 12 months ago before going on to finish a close second in the King George at Goodwood and fourth in the Nunthorpe at York.

Return trips to the Sussex Downs and the Knavesmire appear to be on the agenda for Dwyer’s pride and joy who having been fitted with blinkers for the first time, was beaten around two lengths under Oisin Murphy, with the judge unable to split her and Kerdos in joint-fifth place.

Dwyer said said: “The horse did everything right, Oisin was just of the opinion we got stuck on the wrong part of the track.

“Us and Believing never really got into the race. Even though she loomed at the 150-metre mark like she had a fair chance, she probably just felt the pinch for having to do a fair bit to get into the race.

“She’s run a good, honest race and certainly hasn’t run poorly and we’ll stick on with the plan here like last summer. There’s not much for us at home so it will be Goodwood, York and beyond hopefully.”

Asfoora beat Regional and Believing into second and fourth place last year, but while Ed Bethell’s Regional again ran a stormer to place third this time around, the George Boughey-trained 3-1 favourite Believing was well held in 11th.

Bethell said: “He’s an amazing horse. He’s taken his owners on an amazing journey and I’m hugely appreciative of the horse and Callum (Rodriguez). Obviously I would have loved to win, but this is horse racing and the winner and second were faster than us and that’s the bottom line.

“We’ll keep kicking and try to win another big one somewhere. I entered him in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and I would like to go there – a flat six furlongs at Deauville on some nice ground would probably play to his strengths and then we’d like to go to the Sprint Cup (at Haydock).

“He’s a legend and we’re just very lucky to have him, I’m over the moon. Well done to Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan (trainer and rider of winner American Affair), they deserve a win like this, they’ve been in the game a long time and fair play to them.”

Believing, who broke her Group One duck in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on her previous start, is now in-foal to Frankel and it remains to be seen whether she will race on or be retired.

Boughey said: “There’s a little bit of we were on the wrong side and we were quite aggressive out the gate with her, but Ryan (Moore) thinks she possibly ran the race a little back to front.

“She looked to be going well with a couple of furlongs to go and the horse next to her (Kerdos) kept getting pushed to the side. She’s run with credit, it just wasn’t to be today and the race happened a long way away from her.

“It will be a Coolmore decision (whether she continues to race) and they will make the call. We’ll have a chat and see how she comes out of the race, that is the main thing. She’s got plenty of time left and is only recently in-foal, but it will be the owners’ decision.”

A neck second to American Affair at 28-1 was Frost At Dawn, whose trainer William Knight said: “A huge run and not unexpected, I thought she would run very well. I thought the stiff five furlongs really suited her and it’s just annoying to not get the win.

“I’ve always had belief in this horse and campaigned her aggressively in that sense and we’ll continue to do so. I think she’s run a blinder there today and we’ll stick at five furlongs – that’s her trip.

“We’ll go to Goodwood and York and follow that five-furlong Pattern and maybe try to get back to Del Mar and this time run in the turf race, which we’ll hopefully get into this time. “

Dwyer not feeling the pressure as Asfoora defends Ascot title

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A 40-hour journey, nerves, excitement, jubilation and an audience with the King. That is how Australia’s Henry Dwyer remembers the “biggest day of my racing life” ahead of his return to Royal Ascot with his sprint ace Asfoora, ready to create more memories to treasure.

Some in Dwyer’s homeland had scoffed at his ambition to join compatriots like Paul Perry, Chris Waller and Peter Moody on the Royal Ascot roll of honour.

However, Dwyer had spotted a vacancy at the top of the European sprinting scene and he was not let down by his horse of a lifetime, who provided the Ballarat handler with the ultimate thrill when storming to King Charles III Stakes glory.

Asfoora stormed to victory in 2024
Asfoora stormed to victory in 2024 (David Davies/PA)

“It was completely bonkers, just madness and I was very nervous before the race as it was the biggest day of my racing life,” said Dwyer.

“I train horses in Australia, I’ve got 40-odd horses and won a couple of Group Ones, but that whole thing about travelling a horse and the risk and reward factor brought a lot of pressure.

“A lot of people in Australia thought we were ill-founded coming over here and it was more relief when she won. I didn’t care if she won, lost or drew as long as she didn’t embarrass herself and it was just important she ran well.

“As they walked into the gates I was, for want of a better phrase, s******* myself. Thankfully she ran well and at the 200-metre mark when she ran past us in the grandstand, she was clearly going to win and that’s the last I saw of the race.

“I had 30 people jumping on top of me cheering and I didn’t get chance to even see the last part of the race until half an hour after when I watched the replay and it was just an extraordinary moment.”

After embarking on a mammoth 40-hour return journey to the UK encompassing Hong Kong, Doha and the glamorous end destination of Stansted, Asfoora and her charismatic handler are embracing being back in their second home at Southgate Stables on Newmarket’s Hamilton Road.

And if Asfoora were to become the first horse trained outside Europe to win the same race at consecutive Royal meetings, then it would give Dwyer the opportunity to meet the King again after his crash course in royal protocol last year.

Dwyer explained: “I had a chat with the King before the race which was completely unscripted and I had no etiquette lessons beforehand, so it was very unannounced and I was very unaware. I would have loved an etiquette lesson as I had no idea what to call him and the rest, but we had a good chat.

“He asked me about the horse and I said ‘this is an amazing experience meeting you Sir, but I would love to be speaking to you again after the race picking up the trophy’. He said ‘let’s see if we can make that happen’ and then afterwards he had a big smile as he said ‘I told you I could make this happen’ and it was an amazing life experience.

“Racing takes you all round the world and introduces you to so many new people and that’s one of the amazing things about the sport. It’s not all about winning, it’s about the memories and meeting new people along the way and I guess the King is not someone I expected to meet, but there we are!”

Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat
Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat (Adam Morgan/PA)

It is 22 years since Paul Perry and Choisir opened the floodgates for raiders from the southern hemisphere and although Dwyer joined some of Australia’s most decorated names when striking at Europe’s showpiece meeting, it is his stock in the northern hemisphere that has risen rather than at home.

“I’ve met a lot of great people over here and I’ve got a number of owners from Europe now,” explained Dwyer.

“I think people over here have seen me have one runner and one winner at Royal Ascot and have me down as a John Gosden, but at home it’s a one swallow doesn’t make a summer scenario.

“I train 45 horses and it is what it is. We don’t really want many more than that and we enjoy having a nice, boutique stable without driving ourselves mad and Asfoora is obviously the flagbearer.”

With preparations complete, Dwyer can now embrace his star performer’s bid for Ascot immortality safe in the knowledge no one can erase the memories of 12 months ago.

“I feel like there is less pressure this year as she has been there and done it,” said Dwyer.

“It’s an expensive trip and there’s huge costs involved, but she was able to repay us last year and the money is in the bank now. This year is a bonus, she owes us nothing and we’re just here for the experience and the fun of it.

“The novelty may have worn off a little bit, but there’s still a job to be done and she seems well. We’re happy with with her and hopefully she runs well.”

Dwyer reaches for blinkers as Asfoora defends Ascot title

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Asfoora will sport blinkers in search of a “little one per cent”, as the defence of her King Charles III Stakes title marks the start of another European adventure for the Australian ace.

The six-year-old is one of 26 confirmations for the Royal Ascot feature over the minimum distance and she has happily settled back into familiar surroundings on Newmarket’s Hamilton Road ahead of her bid for back-to-back victories at the meeting.

“Everything is going well and she has travelled over really well,” said trainer Henry Dwyer.

Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat
Asfoora is on course for an Ascot repeat (Adam Morgan/PA)

“We were a bit apprehensive over the logistics of it because last year we were here eight weeks before Ascot and had a lead-up run at Haydock which I thought was vital, whereas this year we’ve tried to do as much as we could at home and arrived later and then straight to Royal Ascot.

“We simply couldn’t get a flight and in an ideal world we would have been here earlier. We were thinking of going to France and having a lead-up run there which would have been good, but as it turned out we couldn’t get here in time.

“I think she’s a different horse this year and seems to be recovering really well and reserving herself a little bit.

“Even in her work she’s a different horse and she used to be really lit up and bouncy and blowy for a bit after her work because she was revved up, but now she’s sort of come back to us a bit.

“I think the blinkers may have been the missing link and I’ve always wanted to put blinkers on her as she is quite a ‘looky’ horse and now I think she has been holding back a little bit, the blinkers might add that little one per cent we need.”

Oisin Murphy rode Asfoora last term and the champion jockey is set to renew his association having been impressed when partnering the antipodean challenger in a racecourse gallop earlier this week.

“I think her fitness is good and she seems in a good place, Oisin seems confident so I just hope he’s right,” added Dwyer.

“Oisin galloped her on Monday on the July course which was a luxury as it was like a bowling green, it was beautiful ground.

“They ran an easy furlong from the five furlong to the four, then went sharp for 600 metres and she steamed through the line with the blinkers on and pulled up like she hadn’t been round.”

Royal Ascot is set to be the first leg of an extended stay in the northern hemisphere for Asfoora, with Dwyer ambitiously eyeing races into the autumn after seeing his stable star thrive in Britain last term.

Henry Dwyer is eyeing another summer of excitement in the UK
Henry Dwyer is eyeing another summer of excitement in the UK (John Walton/PA)

“Knowing that we wanted to get past York this time, we gave her two runs less in Australia this year,” explained Dwyer.

“She will run at Goodwood and York again, and then we would like to go to Ireland and France, but it depends on her. If she is in good order, we will be doing that and two less runs might mean heading to Ireland and France and I would love to get her there.

“It would be a real feather in the cap and bucket list item to just turn up there and would be a really special experience.”

Ed Bethell’s Regional and George Boughey’s Believing were second and fourth behind Asfoora last year and are in line for another crack at their conqueror of 12 months ago, while others to feature amongst the confirmations include new Wathnan Racing recruits Flora Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding) and Night Raider (Karl Burke), who finished second and third respectively behind Inisherin at York last month.

Mgheera is unbeaten in two stars for Ed Walker and heads to the race in peak condition, while Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Cecil Frail Stakes second Prime Art has been supplemented at a cost of £46,000.

The four-year-old underwent a racecourse gallop on Wednesday morning in the hands of Billy Loughnane and Chapple-Hyam said: “I was very happy with her, Billy was happy as well. She’s come on a ton since finishing second in the Listed race at Haydock and I’m very happy.”