Royal Ascot repeat still the plan for Aussie ace Asfoora despite disappointing weekend run

Asfoora is set to return to Royal Ascot this year and bid to defend her title in the King Charles III Stakes despite disappointing in Australia at the weekend.

The Henry Dwyer-trained star gave her country more sprint success at the royal meeting in the 5f Group 1 a year ago, one of four races in Britain for the six-year-old last summer. She was also beaten by a short head by Big Evs at Glorious Goodwood, before finishing fourth in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Another British campaign has been mapped out for Asfoora, but she is unlikely to take in a prep run in the Temple Stakes as she did last year. Dwyer hopes she will fly over in the middle of May and arrive at the latest on June 4, before running at Ascot on June 17.

Dwyer told racing.com: "Either way, it's too tight for a lead-up run over there and you probably wouldn't do one anyway as we're coming back from 1,200 metres [six furlongs] to a 1,000m [five furlongs].

"Because the weather is changing in Australia you don't want her out in the paddock and getting rough and scrubby again, so she can just tick over at Ballarat. We'll rug her up and keep the lights on until later at night, because the lack thereof turns them into winter horses."

Henry Dwyer: trainer of AsfooraCredit: Laura Green

Asfoora made a winning Australian return in a Group 3 at Morphettville this month, but was only seventh in the Robert Sangster Stakes at that track on Saturday. However, that has not deterred Dwyer from sending his star back to Britain.

"I just thought when they put in an effort like she did first-up after such a long break, it's going to take something out of them," he added. "A two-week turnaround with a solid gallop on the Tuesday and a trip over there, it was probably all a bit too much. 

"Despite the fact it was 1,200 metres and she raced a bit wide, I still thought she was entitled to go better and finish closer – she just raced a bit flat. She got beaten just over two and a half lengths, so it wasn't the end of the world."

King Charles III Stakes (Royal Ascot, June 17)
Unibet: 4 Believing, 5 West Acre, 6 Big Evs, 10 Storm Boy, 12 Regional, 14 Leovanni, 16 Kerdos

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