IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
Ascot Queen Asfoora leads up strong Australian contingent for royal meeting
Henry Dwyer is looking forward to seeing his star mare Asfoora (Flying Artie) back on the worldwide stage when the reigning King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) winner bids to defend her crown on Tuesday’s opening day of Royal Ascot.
Twelve months ago the now six-year-old downed her 16 rivals to land the prestigious Group 1 contest, and looks set to face 22 rivals in her title defence.
In an eventual four-start campaign in the UK in 2024, Asfoora also ran a short-head second in the King George Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Goodwood – when carrying a five-pound penalty for her Ascot success – and finished a brave fourth in the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at York behind subsequent Flying Five Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) winner Bradsell (Tasleet).
Having begun her 2024 European charge with a pipe-opening fourth in the Temple Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Haydock, the mare could not make that race this time around.
However, Dywer feels her residual fitness from a close-up seventh in the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) should see her right for Tuesday’s task.
“Everything is going well and I’m very happy with Asfoora so far,” Dwyer told ANZ News.
“We were a bit later over this year as we just couldn’t get a flight, but she’s settled in very well and all is going to plan heading into Ascot.
“Her run in the Robert Sangster wasn’t a lack of fitness, it was more the ground and I think she’ll be fine given it is only the 1000 metres [in the King Charles III Stakes]. She is going to improve whichever way you look at it but she might be good enough regardless.”
This time making her second trip to Newmarket, where she is stationed, Dwyer admitted his mare settled in far easier on this occasion.
“That was very notable when she arrived back in, she settled straight in so we’re not quite finding our way as we were last year and she’s not finding her way,” the trainer said.
“She ate up the night she got here and she really didn’t need a day off at all and that really helped us to be able to utilise the whole two weeks [before Ascot] instead of having to use a week to settle back in and get over the trip.”
Having ridden Asfoora to victory in last year’s race, and in both of her subsequent UK outings, top UK-based rider Oisin Murphy has been booked again for the outing.
“There’s a couple of Australian jockeys over here that we had the option of maybe using but I don’t see the need to break up a winning partnership,” Dwyer said.
“We’re here for the whole season so we need a jockey that is going to commit to the longer term and help us with the gallops in between and that is something that Oisin has shown he’s more than willing to do.”
Asfoora defeated the Ed Bethell-trained Regional (Territories) by a length to claim success last year, with the George Boughey-trained Believing (Mehmas) – who now runs in the Coolmore silks following her 3,000,000gns purchase at last year’s Tattersalls December Mares Sale – a further half-length back in fourth.
Dwyer, however, feels that this year’s renewal could well be a slightly weaker version.
“I think that Believing has probably improved [since we last met] and seems to be going a bit better this year, but Big Evs has gone and Bradsell also,” he said.
“To me it doesn’t seem as strong a race as it was last year, but by the same token we’ve had other challenges as well that might mean we’re not 100 per cent. We might still be good enough but we’ll see.
“There’s no pressure on our end because last year she got one in the bag and got the money in the bank, so everything that could happen this year we are just looking at it as a bonus. Win, lose, or draw it doesn’t matter.
“We will have an experience and we’ll have plenty of fun. If she was to win then terrific but she owes us nothing and I think that everyone has the same mindset, from the owners to me and to my staff, it’s all a big bonus.”
That fun is set to continue into both Goodwood and York again this campaign, with Dwyer also eyeing up potential runs in September’s Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland and the Prix de l’Abbaye (Gr 1, 1000m) on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend at Longchamp in France during October.
“That’s definitely the plan [Goodwood and York], and in an ideal world we could also get to Ireland and France as well for the Flying Five and the l’Abbaye,” Dwyer said.
“Those [races] will depend on her and whether we think she’s going as well as she can, which remains to be proven, but she certainly seems in good order.”
Reflecting on the monumental success of last year for Asfoora and her loyal team of breeder-owners at Noor Elaine Farm, Dwyer said: “For me, training career-wise it’s obviously great but for the owners they’ve tipped so much money in over so many years and to have some nice horses without having a superstar, and then to lob her from a lowish service fee and being passed in at the auctions, it’s just a proper story and it makes you proud to be involved.
“We’ve got a big group coming over, several of us are up in Newmarket already but a lot of the guys are coming in over the weekend and will meet us down in Windsor and Ascot.
“There’s a big contingent and there’ll be plenty of Aussies about, including a lot that didn’t come last year because they thought she wasn’t gonna win.
“So they thought they better get involved this year and we’re delighted to have them.”
Including facing the likes of old foes Regional and Believing, Asfoora will also come up against some new faces in the King Charles III Stakes – and ones with plenty of Australian interest themselves.
Both progeny of Widden Stud’s flagship sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor), the Ed Walker-trained Mgheera – who is owned by Lord Lloyd Webber and Yarraman Park owners Arthur and Harry Mitchell – and the Ralph Beckett-trained Starlust – last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Gr 1, 5f) hero who will stand at Nick Taylor’s Riverstone Lodge when his stud career commences – are worthy opponents to Dwyer’s crack mare.
The former will be making just her third start for Walker and her new owners and comes into the race with a perfect record for her new connections.
A stable debut win in the Prix de Saint-Georges (Gr 3, 1000m) at Longchamp on May 11 was followed up by a last-start success in Haydock’s Temple Stakes a fortnight later – a career-best performance.
“She’s massively exciting and has done everything right this year,” Walker told ANZ News. “She’s got to step up again but we’re really excited.
“I think the fast ground has been a big help to her and I think we potentially got lucky with the draw and set up of the race at Haydock.
“I’m not talking her down though, her previous trainer in France did an excellent job with her. She was bought pretty cheaply and was a Listed winner and Group 2-placed for her.
“Maybe she has improved a bit, whether that be because of us, the ground, her age, who knows, but she’s done nothing wrong so far for us.”
Mgheera has been through the sales ring on four occasions, despite being just a five-year-old.
She was originally purchased for €145,000 by Mandore International Agency at the 2021 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale. However, after a runner-up finish being her best effort from three initial starts, she was then re-sold to Jean-Daniel Manceau and Eric Lecoiffier for just €5,000 out of Al Shaqab Racing at the 2023 Arqana Deauville Summer Mixed Sale, where she was then a Listed winner and Group-placed for trainer Madame Manon Scandella-Lacaille.
Offered by that trainer at the 2024 Tattersalls September Online Sale, Mgheera failed to sell at 300,000gns but, having been re-offered at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in the same year, was bought for €250,000 by Johnny McKeever and Will Johnson – a purchase that has already proven to be a shrewd one.
“It’s great and they’re over the moon,” Walker said of the mare’s new owners.
“The great thing with these fillies is that every bit of black-type you bank they can’t take it away from you so even to be placed here would be a big result. We’re rolling the dice and there’s nothing to lose really so it is exciting.
“I’ve never met the Mitchell brothers [Arthur and Harry] but they are coming over this weekend and I look forward to meeting them.”
Walker is also confident in his mare’s ability, and feels she has more than enough to match up with the opposition on display this week.
“I think she goes there with a great chance to be honest with you, I wouldn’t swap her,” the trainer said.
“She’s very quick and William [Buick, jockey] was very taken by her and I think she heads there with as good a chance as any in these sprints.
“You need everything to go right in these races, if a split-second goes wrong then that’s your race over so they’re pretty unforgiving these five-furlong sprints, but we’re very happy with her and looking forward to it.”
As for future plans, with a move to Australia having been mooted following her Haydock victory, Walker added: “I’m sure we will discuss plans depending on how she runs of course. To be honest with you I don’t know yet, the Nunthorpe [Stakes] is a race that looks tailor-maid for her and obviously myself and my team would love to keep her here, but whatever the guys have planned for her next is up to them.”
The betting as of Monday had Asfoora and Believing locked in at the head of affairs as 9-2 shots, while Mgheera was rated a 9-1 chance.
Moving away from the sprinting division, the Ciaron Maher team have what is surely one of the most intriguing runners of the week in US raider Carl Spackler (Lope De Vega), who will line-up in the opening race of Royal Ascot – the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m).
The now five-year-old son of Lope De Vega (Shamardal) is a three-time Grade 1 winner in his native country – including a devastating last-start four and a quarter lengths victory in the Maker’s Mark Mile (Gr 1, 8f) – and runs in the ever-prominent colours of Yulong Investments following a recent private purchase.
A general 20-1 chance in the market on Monday, Maher’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne oversaw a gallop by the entire on Newmarket’s July Course last week.
“He came over here in good condition from Chad Brown, weighing about 525 kilograms,” Bourne said.
“After the feedback from Jamie Spencer from his first gallop, we came here [July Course] and achieved exactly what we wanted to. Jamie said when he gave him a squeeze late, he really exploded, and Jamie was really impressed by how much he has switched on since the first gallop.
“It is a very unique scenario to purchase a horse from America, to be trained by an Australian, to run at Royal Ascot. I think his biggest challenge will be the conditions and the track. A stiff mile at Ascot is a big ask coming from America, although his times out there really stack up and, thanks to his temperament, he is the perfect horse to travel. He is an absolute dude, like a kid’s pony.
“The Queen Anne Stakes is going to be a red-hot race. There is no hiding place in a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot and you would never get an easy field. We think Carl Spackler is a pretty good horse and hopefully he can show up on Tuesday.”
Top Australian jockey James McDonald has been secured for the ride aboard Carl Spackler on Tuesday, where the duo will face the likes of last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Rosallion (Blue Point), 2024 English 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Notable Speech (Dubawi), and last-start Lockinge Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner and runner-up Lead Artist (Dubawi) and Dancing Gemini (Camelot).
Bourne also revealed that Carl Spackler would be heading to Australia with Maher and his team following Royal Ascot for a potential crack at the time-honoured Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) – for which Tuesday’s Queen Anne carries a ‘win-and-you’re-in’ ticket.
“James McDonald has had a lot of luck in these colours with Via Sistina, and he has ridden winners at Royal Ascot before, so it was a good fit for everybody. It is always nice to have a world-class jockey on your horse in a Group 1. James has had a look at the horse’s tapes and is very excited about him,” Bourne said.
“Royal Ascot is a great carnival. It is similar when you speak to English trainers and owners coming down for the Melbourne Cup, they love the buzz of the whole week, and it is the same for us coming here. It is a world-class stage and for Yulong to entrust us with the horse is amazing.
“The long-term plan is to bring Carl Spackler back to Australia for the Cox Plate and we would be thrilled to take the Queen Anne Stakes on the way through. We may also look at Goodwood as well, depending how next week goes.”