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Aussie ace Asfoora powers to Nunthorpe glory
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Fri 22 Aug 2025
Australian speedster Asfooratasted success on British soil once again when blazing her way to victory in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Henry Dwyer’s horse of a lifetime was a Royal Ascot winner when adding spice to the sprinting scene last year and the enduring enterprise of connections was rewarded on the Knavesmire, as the 11-1 shot bettered last year’s fourth in the hands of Oisin Murphy.
Always ideally placed following the blistering pace set by Karl Burke’s Night Raider, Asfoora hit top gear with a furlong to run, scorching a length and a quarter clear of Kevin Ryan’s 100-1 shot Ain’t Nobody, who finished well for second. William Knight’s Frost At Dawn was third.
Dwyer said: “I’d love to see the replay because it looked like she won quite convincingly.
“When you know they are going to win at the two-furlong marker you are sort of on pretty good terms with yourself. It was an easy watch and it was great to be around a lot of friends, really enjoyable.
“It’s just an incredible buzz to be validated with what you think. It was a little bit dicey and people were doubting her, but we didn’t really lose faith.
“It’s always hard to keep faith when they aren’t winning, but we knew there were no excuses coming into today – it was win or be retired basically, and she’s done the job.”
What they had to say
Henry Dwyer
Chenelle Ellis
What the vanquished had to say
Kevin Ryan was rewarded for keeping the faith in Ain’t Nobody as he outran odds of 100-1 to finish runner-up in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
The three-year-old won the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot as a juvenile and looked to return to form at the same track this year when a good third in the Commonwealth Cup Trial, but four unplaced runs since meant he headed to the Knavesmire as a rank outsider.
Under Kevin Stott he made a mockery of that estimation, going down by a length and a quarter to the Australian mare Asfoora.
“I’m not one to bring horses to make up the numbers. I never have done it and never will,” Ryan said.
“It’s not about being proved right, it’s having faith in the horse. The owners never question what I do. I told them he was in great form and I said we were going to ride him cold as they’re going to go hard here.
“I said we’ll ride him like when he won at Royal Ascot and it’s worked out a treat.”
William Knight’s King Charles III Stakes second Frost At Dawn was third, another placing at the top level for the 10-1 shot, who was partnered by Mickael Barzalona.
“She’s a star. She’s placed in a Group One again, of course you want to win these races so naturally it’s a bit frustrating,” said Knight.
“She was probably a bit slow away, but Mickael got her up into a nice position, she’s one who just needs to go through the gears but she has run a blinder.
“She’s had plenty of seconds and now a third, but how can you complain? Third in a Group One. I’d just love to find that win at this level.
“She’s not in the Flying Five, but she is in the Abbaye, the ground might go wrong that day for her and the place I’d really love to go to is Del Mar (Breeders’ Cup).”
In fourth was Night Raider, whose trainer Karl Burke said: “That was his best run on turf. When everything goes smoothly for him and he’s relaxed in the prelims and at the start, he’s a horse with a lot of natural ability.
“He’s in the Flying Five and he’s in the Abbaye. He’ll run in all those big sprints and hopefully one day he’ll fall on one.”
More to follow...
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