American Affair defies rating to land King Charles III Stakes, Asfoora runs solid fifth
Despite carrying an official BHA rating of just 105 heading into the race, the Jim Goldie-trained American Affair (Washington DC) came out best in Tuesday’s King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) as last year’s heroine Asfoora (Flying Artie) weakened, but still managed to finish a solid fifth.
Having risen through the handicap ranks with two wins off marks of 94 and 98 this season, the five-year-old gelding then ran fifth – beaten two and three-quarter lengths – behind Mhgeera (Zoustar) in the Temple Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Haydock on his first try at stakes level.
Incredibly, on just his second run in stakes grade, the son of Washington DC (Zoffany) came with a strong run inside the final furlong to deny the 104-rated Frost At Dawn (Frosted) by a neck under Paul Mulrennan, handing his trainer a first winner at both Group 1 level and at Royal Ascot.
There was a further length back to Regional (Territories) – who had run second in 2024 – in third place, while the Ed Walker-trained Mgheera, who is part-owned by Yarraman Park’s Arthur and Harry Mitchell, was withdrawn at the start having refused to enter the starting stalls.
“I have trained the family for three generations, so it’s very sweet,” Goldie said. “This horse’s grandfather [Orientor] had his day here [at the Shergar Cup], so we’re pretty lucky that we can breed horses like that.
“American Affair is just getting faster. We went seven furlongs at Wetherby in his maiden, but we’ve learnt to run him over the right trip. We took him back to five and he is just getting better and better.
“I was quite confident he could do it today. He has the talent. I knew he was probably one of the fastest horses in the race, but it’s how you control that. We’ve come down a day early, got him relaxed and it all fell into place. It means a lot.”
Mulrennan, who was registering his second Royal Ascot winner, said: “It all went pretty smooth, I got a lovely tow along there. We just tweaked a couple of things today – we put a hood on him. The last day nothing went right at Haydock. Jim has always had a lot of faith in American Affair, and he is a good horse.
“I first won his maiden on him over seven furlongs around Wetherby, which is hard to believe. And then he started getting sharper and sharper. I rode him one day at York over seven and he proper latched on and I said to Jim ‘I think this lad could be a sprinter’. He has just got quicker as he’s got older, as do a lot of sprinters.
“I am a northern jockey. I am riding Monday-to-Friday horses. To get here, just to come here and have a ride here is special. This is our Olympics. You’re riding with Ryan Moore, Christoph Soumillon and William Buick, the best jockeys in the world. The best horses, trainers, owners are all here – it’s a big stage.
“At this stage of my career, I probably have more years behind me than I have in front of me. It is hard enough to get rides here, so it’s nice to come down here and have a ride, but to win a Group 1 here is very special. The last time I had a Royal Ascot winner [Dandino], I had jet black hair!
“Jim has been very good to me the last few years. He is a master trainer. He can get inside a horse’s head. He is not afraid to tweak things around, run them over different trips and that’s what I’ve learned off him – it is an amazing sport.
“We are not spending massive money at the sales. A lot of them are homebred horses. They are not the most straight-forward all of them but fair play to Jim and all his team, they keep churning out winners year after year.”
Starlust (Zoustar), who will take up stud duties at Nick Taylor’s Riverstone Lodge in the spring, ran a solid race to finish fourth, while the Henry Dwyer-trained Asfoora travelled smoothly throughout, but didn’t have the burst of speed she showed last year, eventually dead-heating with Kerdos (Profitable) for fifth.
Out of six-time winner Classy Anne (Orientor), American Affair (5 g Washington DC – Classy Anne by Orientor) became the first stakes winner in five generations of his family and was bred by John McGrandles.
“American Affair is probably the only horse here with a Glasgow postcode in his passport,” McGrandles, who also part-owns American Affair, said.
“I got the mare from Jim after she’d finished racing. We had two foals out of her but unfortunately lost her. We’ve got another mare by Orientor as well, and she’s gone back to Washington DC, just hoping we might do it again.
“We keep the mares at home; I have been involved with horses since I was six. My wife is a veterinary surgeon – and we’re off to the Highland Show tomorrow with sheep! This horse is the biggest winner we’ve had, yes. And the horse’s stable name is Charlie and he’s won the King Charles!”