Asfoora to Continue Australian Sprinters' Legacy at Royal Ascot
Australia boasts a superb record at the Royal Ascot event, particularly in the five-furlong events.
Asfoora aims to maintain the proud tradition of Australian sprinters at Royal Ascot in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes this coming Tuesday (June 18th).
Australia boasts a superb record at the Royal Ascot event, particularly in the five-furlong events. Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, and Nature Strip, who prevailed in 2022, are outstanding examples of this Australian success story.
In May, the five-year-old horse, Asfoora, made her European debut when she ran in the G2 Temple Stakes held at Haydock Park. Despite starting very strong, she did not meet expectations and faded into fourth place.
Henry Dwyer, talking at a 2024 Royal Ascot media event this week, commented on Asfoora and her journey to Royal Ascot 2024:
"Asfoora got here five weeks before the Temple Stakes, so she has been here just over two months. We came over earlier than normal because we tried to avoid the changing of the seasons – in Australia we are going into winter and you are coming out here. If she had stayed any longer in Australia, she would have started growing a winter coat. It has given her a chance to season and settle in."
The plan for Asfoora’s international campaign began more than 12 months ago, and is well underway!
"We had the initial idea 14 or 16 months ago when she won a couple of 1,000m races at Caulfield. We just knew our options in Australia were limited because we have very few five or five-and-a-half-furlong sprints. All our good sprints are six furlongs and she just doesn’t get that. She is a dyed in the wool five-furlong horse. There is a good series of races over here," Dwyer explained.
To prepare her for the journey, Asfoora was taken to Perth, a four-hour flight from Melbourne.
"We took her to Perth in Australia, which is a four-hour flight from Melbourne, to give her the experience of travelling. We were a bit worried because she is a bit of a wound-up filly, but she took it in her stride and that gave us confidence to come over here," Dwyer noted.
Asfoora, a dual G2 winner at Caulfield, has placed twice at the top level for Dwyer, including a notable performance behind Imperatriz in the G1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley in September. Her participation at Royal Ascot will be closely watched as she seeks to add to the rich legacy of Australian sprinters.
Asfoora's Recent Form
| Date | Distance | GNG | WGT / HDGR | SP | Jockey | OR | TS | RPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25May24 | 5f | Sft | 9-6 | 4/9 btn 2¾L Kerdos 9-6 | Mitchell Aitken | 114 | 88 | 108 |
| 23Mar24 | 5½f | Gd | 8-7 | 4/14 btn ¾L Zapateo 8-5 | Timothy Clark | — | — | 118 |
| 24Feb24 | 5½f | Gd | 9-1 | 10/15 btn 2½L Queman 8-3 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 119 |
| 10Feb24 | 5½f | Gd | 9-0 | 2/13 btn 1L Kallos 9-3 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 114 |
| 11Nov23 | 6f | Gd | 8-13 | 9/11 btn 7¼L Imperatriz 8-13 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 96 |
| 14Oct23 | 5½f | Gd | 8-13 | 1/8 by 3L Uncommon James 9-3 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 120 |
| 29Sep23 | 5f | Gd | 8-13 | 2/8 btn 1¼L Imperatriz 8-13 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 118 |
| 02Sep23 | 5½f | Gd | 9-0 | 1/11 by 1L Midwest 9-0 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 119 |
| 15Apr23 | 6f | GS | 8-13 | 4/14 btn ¾L Overpass 9-3 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 113 |
| 18Mar23 | 5½f | Gd | 8-2 | 4/12 btn 1¾L Mariamia 8-0 | Jye Mcneil | — | — | 113 |
| 25Feb23 | 5½f | Gd | 8-5 | 3/16 btn 1L Uncommon James 8-6 | Jye Mcneil | — | — | 112 |
| 29Oct22 | 5½f | Sft | 9-2 | 1/16 by ¾L Veranskova 8-9 | J M Allen | — | — | 112 |
| 15Oct22 | 5f | Sft | 8-5 | 1/9 by 2¾L Kallos 8-7 | Jye Mcneil | — | — | 108 |
| 23Sep22 | 5f | GS | 8-13 | 7/12 btn 2L Wolflands 8-5 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | — |
| 07Sep22 | 5f | GS | 8-13 | 1/12 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | — |
| 12Feb22 | 6f | Gd | 9-0 | 3/11 btn ¾L Argentia 9-0 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | 98 |
| 26Jan22 | 5½f | Gd | 9-3 | 1/7 by 1L Jillette 9-0 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | — |
| 07Jan22 | 5½f | Gd | 9-8 | 1/12 | Mitchell Aitken | — | — | — |
| 18Dec21 | 5f | Gd | 8-11 | 1/8 | Liam Riordan | — | — | — |
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