Asfoora wins the Nunthorpe Stakes

Asfoora future hangs on Royal Ascot performance

Horse Racing

Sun May 24, 2026 · 6h ago

Henry Dwyer will reach for the blinkers once again with Asfoora, who faces what he has described as a ‘fork in the road moment’ when bidding to regain her King Charles III Stakes title at Royal Ascot.

After finishing down the field in the Group Three HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, the daughter of Flying Artie failed to feature for the second race in succession after trailing home last in the William Hill Temple Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday.

While Dwyer believes the used ground on the inside track, which the race was run on after a hole was discovered on the outside course, played some part in the performance he admits he expected to see more from the seven year old.

And should Asfoora, who will switch back under Dwyer’s care ahead of the Royal meeting from Lemos De Souza, fail to sparkle in the five furlong Group One, which she claimed in 2024, then he insists time could be called on her European adventure.

Dwyer said: “She seems to have pulled up fine and there were no issues seemingly. Everything had been good in her preparation as she looked good and her soundness was good.

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"I feel like on that choppy ground she might just have looked after herself a bit, but the proof will be in the pudding when we find out more at Royal Ascot.

“If she goes to Ascot, and runs poorly, we will pull the pin and send her home, but if she runs well we will carry on and see what happens.

“She was desperate for the run fitness wise so there was no thought about not running, but we knew we would be up against it on the choppier ground.

“The fresh ground on the outside course would have been fine. She has got the desired result fitness wise out of the run, but not the desired performance.

“We are invested, and we are going there, but that will be the fork in the road moment where we say yes she still wants to be here or no she doesn’t.

“I’m conscious that older mares can put the cue in the rack pretty quickly. Although her performances have shown that all her other metrics have been good. Her soundness is good, she looks good and her work has been good.

“I’m not going to throw the baby out of the bath water, but I just want to judge her on a more even track with blinkers back on.”

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