Aussie raider Asfoora proves too strong for UK and Irish rivals in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The five-furlong Group 1 dash at Royal Ascot may have been run under the name of the King Charles III Stakes for the first time this season, but the result had a familiar feel to it with Henry Dwyer's Australian raider Asfoora coming home strongly in the hands of Oisin Murphy to become to sixth winner for Antipodean connections.
The daughter of Flying Artie chased one of her main market rivals Regional in the smaller stands' side group Michael Appleby's Breeders' Cup hero Big Evs led the field up the centre of the course. The challengers soon began to line up as Tom Marquand asked Big Evs for more in the middle of the track and the complexion of the contest quickly changed. Both Regional and Asfoora bounded into contention with a furlong to travel, but it would be the latter who would display the superior turn of foot and despite lugging right-handed in the closing stages, Henry Dwyer's five-year-old found her a length clear crossing the line.
Last year's Sprint Cup winner Regional stuck on well to fill the runner-up spot for Ed Bethell and Callum Rodriguez, with the 11/4 favourite Big Evs back in third.
It was a first top-level success for the dual Group 1-placed Asfoora, who clearly reaped the benefits of her reappearance fourth behind Kerdos in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock last month.
Asfoora joins Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009) and Nature Strip (2022) on the Australian roll of honour.
"We've got so many people here – not only the owners of Asfoora, but 40 or 50 of my owners from home who would saw the end of their leg off to have a runner at Royal Ascot. It's amazing. I think there will be the mother of all parties tonight!" said the grinning winning trainer.
"I am really struggling for words, funnily enough. We have come a long way from Ballarat, but it's been an amazing experience from start to finish. We've been so well looked after and we're so grateful for that.
"That was my third Group 1 winner. To do it here, at Royal Ascot, is just amazing."
Dwyer continued: "It was a bit of an audacious plan. This time last year - or probably two years ago – I thought, we're restricted in Australia, and we need a few options over here. We couldn't travel her at that stage – she wasn't mentally sound enough. We took her to Perth last year for a race called the Quokka, an iconic Australian race, and it was more the travel that we wanted her to experience to see if she could come over here. She did it great, it was the making of her, and here we are.
"We got a bit of stick from home for bringing her over because she wasn't seen as one of our better sprinters, but we were just so confident that she was really textbook wheelhouse five furlongs and she's proven that today. We just didn't have the races for her in Australia and she's proved she's up to it and I'm thrilled for everyone involved.
"We needed a lead-up run at Haydock, so she came over early, but just with the changing of seasons we wanted to be here before it was too cold in Australia and too warm over here. We came over in the nice interchange period, and we needn't have worried because she settled in brilliantly, and the proof was in the pudding today."
Murphy, who was riding a twelfth Royal Ascot winner, was impressed with the mare and full of admiration for the training performance by Henry Dwywer. "When push came to shove, she was very gutsy because I wasn't sure and the other group with Big Evs was a long way in front of me. I have to admire her tenacity to go and run them down" explained the three-time champion jockey.
"It's special to be a part of and it's a very difficult feat to bring her over here at this time of year when it is approaching the Australian winter and prepare her – Henry has done a top job.
"It was great that they thought of me and to win for them was really great. When I sat on her, they publicised the times and we didn't go very fast at all, so it was very hard for me to say I would win the King Charles III Stakes beforehand off the back of that.
"I was unsure at halfway when I said go, but she really picked up and ran on well.
"To be presented with the trophy by the King was a privilege and it was great to get the opportunity."
