Asfoora backed to fire in Sandown speed test

Henry Dwyer is confident his superstar mare Asfoora will show her true colours in the Coral Charge at Sandown on Saturday.

The Australian speedster has won three Group Ones in Europe, with her 2024 victory in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot followed by further top-level strikes in the Nunthorpe at York and the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp last season.

The seven-year-old has failed to trouble the judge in three starts so far this year, but there were definite signs of a resurgence when she was beaten just two lengths into seventh place at the Royal meeting last month.

“She’s in great order I reckon and I think she’ll run a blinder on Saturday,” said Dwyer.

“Ascot showed she’s on the way back, I just thought she went well but possibly peaked in her run at the half-furlong marker. She’d had those two runs leading up to it, but she did very, very little in those runs and track conditions and fitness dictated that she wasn’t ready – we just didn’t get as much benefit out of those runs as we needed to.

“It was almost like how we train in Australia – she had two trials and then that was almost like her first run at Ascot and she’ll improve from it.

“I feel she just went like a horse who was probably one run off her best. I’d like to think we’ll see an improved performance on Saturday.”

In each of the past two seasons Asfoora has gone from Royal Ascot to the King George Stakes at Goodwood and then to York for the Nunthorpe – but with her career on the track entering its final chapter, Dwyer is keen to see how she performs this weekend before making further plans.

On the decision to run at Sandown, the trainer added: “It’s really a timing thing as she’s probably going to be going into quarantine pretty much the day after Goodwood. I think we’ve only really got two more chances with her so there was no point beating around the bush – if she’s in good order she can run.

“If she was to win on Saturday and at Goodwood, which wouldn’t be beyond the realms (of possibility), she might get a reprieve and go to the Nunthorpe again, which would mean pushing back her breeding season a month.

“But at this stage the plan is to definitely run at Sandown and maybe run at Goodwood, depending on how she runs on Saturday, and there’d be an option to go to the Nunthorpe if she was going well.

“She’s going to stud this year, so it’s just a matter of what we can fit in before then.”

Asfoora’s Sandown rivals include Words Of Truth, who heads back to the Esher track three weeks after landing the Scurry Stakes over the course and distance.

Speaking on the Godolphin website, trainer Charlie Appleby said: “Words Of Truth ticks a few boxes heading into this, having won over the course and distance on his last start. We are hoping that the ground isn’t too quick as he’s better suited to some give underneath. He should be a big player if he gets his conditions.”

Other contenders include Jonathan Portman’s defending champion Rumstar and the Clive Cox-trained Shagraan.