Conditions key to Asfoora’s Prix de l’Abbaye bid

Ground conditions at ParisLongchamp will decide whether Australian sprinter Asfoora will round off her European campaign in the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye on Sunday week.

Winner of the King Charles III Stakes last season, Henry Dwyer’s star mare came up short when defending her Royal Ascot crown in June and was also well held on her next start at Goodwood, but roared back to her best when claiming a second Group One victory on British soil in the Nunthorpe at York.

However, she again failed to trouble the judge on rain-softened ground when contesting the Flying Five Stakes in Ireland on her most recent start and while Dwyer would love to see her line up in Paris on Arc weekend, testing turf would almost certainly scupper her participation.

Speaking from his home in Australia, Dwyer said on Monday: “We’ll keep her ticking over with a view to running there, but it is ground dependent. If it’s going to be pretty wet then we probably wouldn’t bother, but if it’s dry then we certainly want to go there.

“We were disappointed after the Flying Five, but it was very similar to her run at Goodwood. She was beaten less than three lengths and finished seventh and just didn’t appreciate the ground.

“We know the only time we’ve seen her on top of the ground this year is when she won at York and the other times she had excuses but there’s nothing else for her other than the Abbaye, so we may as well keep her ticking over and see what happens.

“Hopefully I’ll fly over the week before, have a week over there and fly back afterwards. It would be a big thrill to have a runner on Arc day obviously, so we’ll try to get there if we can.”