Asfoora crowned European Champion Sprinter
Henry Dwyer’s star mare Asfoora (Flying Artie) was crowned European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier awards in London on Wednesday.
The seven-year-old daughter of Flying Artie (Artie Schiller) landed both the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) and Prix de l’Abbaye (Gr 1, 1000m) from five runs in Europe this season and has joined Starspangledbanner (Choisir) and Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) as fellow Australians to receive the award.
Asfoora will have a third European campaign in 2026 in what is likely to be her final season before retiring as a broodmare.
“She’s going to have a good three months out and then we’ll gear her up for the early races next year,” Dwyer said on the Sadler Sessions podcast. “That Haydock Temple Stakes that she ran in the first year, we might go there.
“There’s a race at Newmarket on the Rowley Mile course called the Palace House Stakes, which is a five-furlong Group 3. They’re all set-weights-and-penalties races, they’re not handicaps, she’s not going to get too much weight.
“She’ll go to Royal Ascot again, obviously, if she’s up and well and then we might try and find another couple of races for her.”
Dwyer also revealed that the three-time Group 1 winner may not be his only runner at Royal Ascot in June next year.
“I’ve bought a couple more horses over there at the [Tattersalls] Horses In Training Sale,” he said. “We’re going to take them to Ascot too and try and have three runners at Royal Ascot next year, which would be amazing.”
The triple Group 1 winner Calandagan (Gleneagles) was crowned Horse of the Year and outstanding Older Horse.
Calandagan broke his duck at the elite-level when winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2400m) in June and followed it up with dominant victories in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) and Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f).
The four-year-old was twice honoured at the Dorchester’s opulent celebration as he also took home the top honour for Older Horse, which he sealed by becoming the first since Brigadier Gerard (Queen’s Hussar) to win both of Ascot’s major prizes in the same season.
Calandagan, who is trained in France by Francis Graffard, is the fourth horse bred and owned by the late Aga Khan to win the prestigious award, following in the footsteps of champions Daylami (Doyoun) (1999), Dalakhani (Darshaan) (2003) and Zarkava (Zamindar) (2008). The prominent owner-breeder died in February.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Delacroix (Dubawi) won the Three-Year-Old Colt award after a superb seven-race season stretching from March to October, recording wins over his elders in exciting renewals of the Eclipse (Gr 1, 1m 2f) and Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f).
The same stable took home the Three-Year-Old Filly award with Minnie Hauk (Frankel), Oaks winner at Chester, the Curragh and York as well as Epsom. She was denied only narrowly by Daryz (Sea The Stars) in a memorable Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m).
Trawlerman (Golden Horn) dominated the Stayer award just as he had bossed his opposition on track. Unbeaten in a flawless campaign, Godolphin’s star landed the Henry II Stakes (Gr 2, 2m), Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f), Lonsdale Cup (Gr 1, 2m 0.5f) and Long Distance Cup (Gr 1, 2m).
The spotlight was again on Ballydoyle for the juvenile awards, with Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) leading the charge as top Two-Year-Old Colt after his stylish win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr 1, 8f) and Precise (Starspangledbanner) taking the fillies’ equivalent after magnificent victories in the Moyglare Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) and Fillies’ Mile (Gr 1, 1m).
2025 Cartier Awards
Horse of the Year
Calandagan
Three-Year-Old Colt
Delacroix
Three-Year-Old Filly
Minnie Hauk
Older Horse
Calandagan
Sprinter
Asfoora
Stayer
Trawlerman
Two-Year-Old Colt
Gstaad
Two-Year-Old Filly
Precise
Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit
Brough Scott