Asfoora out to cap unlikely rise in Moir Stakes
Daughter of Flying Artie a chance to land elusive Group 1 at Moonee Valley for owner-breeders Noor Elaine Farm
If speed machine Asfoora (Flying Artie), the in-form mare vying for a breakthrough success at the highest level in tonight’s AJ Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m), had been by Noor Elaine Stud’s then resident stallion Oamaru Force (Geiger Counter) she would have been sold unreserved.
Instead, Asfoora’s owner-breeder Akram El-Fahkri wanted to recoup the $33,000 service fee he’d paid to access Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), so when no one bid on her at the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, the Melbourne businessman took her home to his Euroa-based farm.
Henry Dwyer, who went to Melbourne’s Xavier College with El-Fahkri’s sons, was chosen to take her on, even if the Ballarat-based trainer tried not to, and she’s defied her inauspicious start to life ever since.
“Even Henry was at the sales and he didn’t like her and, to add a bit of hyperbole, he was kicking and screaming when I pushed her onto him,” El-Fahkri told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“In fairness to him, I’d given him four or five rather slow ones and he probably was of the mindset that he was going to get another slow one.
“But I think she’s a beautiful horse. To me, she’s a ballerina and centrefold material, she’s very elegant, but to put a horse to the test and find out how good they are, my experiences are, 99 times out of 100, you are let down.
“It’s good fortune that, after all of the years and having raced so many horses, that we’ve got a stakes-class mare.”
On this night at Moonee Valley 12 months ago, connections endured a horror show in a Benchmark 84 (955m) with the mare badly held up as an odd-on favourite, eventually finishing seventh under rider Mitch Aitken.
Since then, however, Asfoora has won a Caulfield Sprint (Gr 2, 1000m), a Bergonia Belle (Gr 3, 1100m) and earned a first-up win in The Heath 1100 (Gr 3, 1100m). This followed a luckless three-start autumn preparation, which included a third in the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) and fourths in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) and The Quokka (1200m), Perth’s inaugural slot race.
Asfoora’s rise may appear a surprise, but not for those close to the filly, who knew she had above average ability from the first time she sprinted up the hill at Ballarat.
“Inadvertently, she showed promise because [Henry] had a smart filly of the same age, they were both two-year-olds, and he galloped them together and Asfoora was able to go past who he thought was the better filly,” El-Fahkri said.
“From that time on, he knew he had a good filly, but he wouldn’t have said he had an outstanding filly.”
The unheralded Aitken, a loyal contributor to the Dwyer stable, will maintain his association with Asfoora in the Moir having ridden her first-up at Caulfield.
Noor Elaine Farm principal El-Fahkri is optimistic his star mare can deliver an overdue Group 1 win.
“Even with that good New Zealand mare (Imperatriz), who is in the red, I think she could struggle to run Asfoora down over five furlongs,” the owner said.
“Whatever happens, win or lose, that’ll dictate where Henry will go. If she wins the Moir, then she’s locked into Group 1 races going forward.
“If she doesn’t win the Moir, Henry’s suggestion is that we tackle lesser races like the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint that she won last year.”
Dwyer has Asfoora’s unraced three-year-old and two-year-old half-brothers by Akeed Mofeed (Dubawi) and Ilovethiscity (Magic Albert), respectively, while her dam, Golden Child (I Am Invincible), has a yearling colt by Dirty Work (Written Tycoon) and is returning to Flying Artie this year.
Flying Artie’s dual Group 1-winning first season son Artorius was considered for Golden Child, an $11,000 purchase in 2016 by El-Fahkri, but instead the Noor Elaine Farm brainstrust elected to try their luck twice with Asfoora’s sire, now a resident at neighbouring Blue Gum Farm.
“Tim Jackson [Noor Elaine Farm manager] pushed strongly for Artorius and it’d be commercially better for us, but the unlikely possibility of getting another Asfoora just couldn’t be ignored,” El-Fahkri said.
“Even though some pundits will say that Artorius is better than Flying Artie, we’re trying to fluke another Asfoora if we can.”
Noor Elaine has also committed to sending mares to Blue Gum’s first season sire Sejardan (Sebring), who was acquired earlier this year by the stud’s new owners Jason and Mel Stenning and Sean and Cathy Dingwall.