Asfoora on target for 2025 Royal Ascot

Henry Dwyer would have preferred Asfoora to already be acclimatising in the UK ahead of her Royal Ascot defence, but instead, the star mare was at Flemington on Friday for a crucial 900m trial.

She matched strides with Winnasedge in the hit-out, which Dwyer used as a substitute race due to travel complications that pushed back her departure date.

“We originally hoped she’d be on a flight early May after the Sangster,” Dwyer said. “But flights didn’t align. Now she flies out next Thursday from Sydney after a float trip from Victoria.”

The door-to-door journey to her UK base in Newmarket will take roughly 40 hours, a factor Dwyer admits adds difficulty.

“It’s frustrating only because I want what’s best for the mare,” he said. “She handled the travel well last year, but we had more breathing room. This time, the timing is tighter.”

Dwyer wanted to see her trial well and be race-fit before departure. “She hadn’t run since the Sangster and we needed something solid,” he said. “She got that today.”

Once in the UK, Asfoora will have limited time to do fast work before Royal Ascot, so maintaining her condition en route is key.

Dwyer is hopeful that Oisin Murphy, her Royal Ascot-winning jockey, will again be aboard. “He’s indicated interest and said the division looks open,” Dwyer said. “It’s just a matter of availability.”

Asfoora will be targeting the King Charles III Stakes, and racing fans can follow her path to the UK via Australia’s trusted betting platforms.