Asfoora in excellent shape for next UK outing

Ballarat based Henry Dwyer says there is some trepidation when training a horse from afar as he has been doing with Asfoora.

Last month’s King Charles III Stakes winner at Royal Ascot is set to run at Goodwood in the early hours of Saturday morning (Australian time) in the Group 2 King George Stakes (1000m) which is being used as a lead-up to the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m) at York on August 24.

Dwyer arrived in the UK on Monday morning and headed straight to Newmarket to watch Asfoora work, the first time he had seen the mare in the flesh for four weeks.

“It’s very difficult to train a horse and not see them for three or four weeks at a time,” Dwyer told RSN.

“You’re always worrying, but we’re so lucky we’ve got Shanelle over here who is a jet and Amy Murphy who is looking after us at her stables.

“I need not worry, but it’s always trepidation in not knowing and not seeing them yourself.

“I arrived at Heathrow at 5am on Monday morning and got out to Newmarket to watch her gallop at 8.30am and she looks amazing.

“I know she won that race, but I went into that race thinking she looked a bit wintry, had a wispy little coat on her and she hadn’t acclimatised properly, but now she looks a million dollars.

“Fitness wise she might have gone backwards 10 per cent as she had two weeks off after Ascot in the paddock and we’ve been pretty easy on her towards this race, but going into a 1000-metre race, downhill, it doesn’t matter fitness wise, but health wise, she’s just terrific.”

Dwyer said the result King George Stakes does not matter as everything is being pointed towards having Asfoora in peak condition for the Nunthorpe Stakes three weeks later.

That does not mean Dwyer is conceding defeat, but he already knows the run will bring her on.f

“I think she can win, but if she gets beaten it’s not the end of the world,” Dwyer said.

“It’s a Group 2 and the big target is the (Group 1) Nunthorpe.

“It’s like when she ran at Haydock. She ran a good fourth, but she peaked on her run late and I can almost see her again looking the winner and peaking on her run late.

“She might still win, but I feel she’s going to tighten up two or three lengths with the run.

“It’s a great position to be in because the pressure is off having already won at Ascot.”