Asfoora's racing future mapped out by Henry Dwyer

Although Asfoora did not achieve a storybook conclusion to her Royal Ascot campaign, trainer Henry Dwyer noted enough in her effort in the King Charles III Stakes to justify extending her racing career.

However, whether she contests a fourth European Group 1 event will depend on her own condition.

The intention is for the rising eight-year-old mare to return to Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, with her departure date to be determined by her performance in up to two potential starts next month.

Dwyer explained, "She's going into quarantine on the 31st of July to get back here for the breeding season at the start of September."

"We can run her at Sandown on Saturday week in the five-furlong (1015m) Group 3 sprint there, the Sprint Stakes, which will be two-and-a-half weeks between runs and then there's the Group 2 King George Stakes at Goodwood the day she's supposed to go into quarantine.

"They're two options for her before she comes home. But if she was to win one or both of them, which we'd be a chance to, then the Nunthorpe is three weeks later and the owners might be persuaded to put off getting her served by a month."

The prestigious Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes (1005m), a race Asfoora claimed last year, is set to be held at York on August 21.

Dwyer is confident that Asfoora will give her owners something to ponder with a peak performance anticipated, following her two-length seventh in last week's King Charles III Stakes (1000m), a race she won in 2024.

"I think she ran near enough her best, she just blew out that last little bit," Dwyer commented.

"Maybe off the back of two very soft runs she still needed it a bit the other day.

"She had a big blow, but at least she tried and I feel like her next run will be her peak run."

Dwyer made his return to Australia on Tuesday morning and will be present at Caulfield this Saturday, where Salsa Fellow is scheduled to compete in the Sportsbet More Places BM84 Handicap (1100m) that concludes the race day.

The four-year-old Blue Point gelding is approaching the ninth start of his current preparation, which commenced at Flemington on New Year's Eve and included consecutive victories at Terang and Warrnambool, preceding his last-start fourth in the Golden Topaz (1200m) at Swan Hill.

"He's had a long busy preparation, so he's nearer the end of it than the start of it, but he seems pretty good," Dwyer added.

"He's getting up in the ratings now but he's probably still got another couple of wins in him so we'll just try and make the most of the off-season before the spring starts with him."

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