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Racing

Asfoora after Aussie first at Royal Ascot

Aussie mare enters rare air with return trip to Royal Ascot.

ASFOORA winning the King Charles III Stakes at Ascot in England.
ASFOORA winning the King Charles III Stakes at Ascot in England. Picture: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Asfoora significantly enhanced her status with her win in last year's King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot and she will be upgraded to globetrotting legend if she successfully defends her title in the Group 1 sprint, which will be run Tuesday night Australian time.

There have been seven Australian-trained winners at the feature carnival since Paul Perry's Choisir put it on the agenda for antipodeans, but there has never been a multiple winner.

It is rare that Aussie horses even make a return trip to Royal Ascot.

Thirty Australian-trained horses have run in either the 1006-metre Kings Charles III Stakes (formerly King's Stand Stakes) or the 1207m Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, which was known as the Golden Jubilee Stakes when Choisir completed his famed double, but only three repeat runners.

Takeover Target ran in both races each year from 2006 to 2008, never finishing further back than fourth, but the 2006 King's Stand Stakes was his only win.

Magnus was a combatant of Takeover Target's in his latter two visits, finishing third in the King's Stand Stakes and 14th in the Golden Jubilee in 2007, before a King's Stand eighth placing in 2008.

The only horse to return since is Artorius, who dead-heated for third in the 2022 Jubilee before finishing fourth in the same event the following year.

Asfoora doesn't boast the ratings profile of Australia's other Royal Ascot sprint winners – her win last year came in a Racing And Sports rating of 121, which is three pounds lower to the next lowest-rated Aussie winner, Takeover Target – but a repeat of that might be enough for victory.

The biggest danger to Henry Dwyer's mare, according to the market, is last year's fourth placegetter Believing, who owns a peak rating of 120 but is coming off a Group 1 win in Dubai in 119.

Another 120-rater, Night Raider, holds down the third line of betting but was well held last start in the Group 2 Clipper Stakes at York.

Outside Asfoora, the leading fancy with the highest peak rating is Starlust, who ran 120 to win last year's Group 1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, but she has not cracked triple-figures in two runs since.

Oisin Murphy, who rode Asfoora to victory last year, rides again this year with the daughter of Flyting Artie to jump from barrier 10 in the big field of 23.

AUSTRALIAN-TRAINED SPRINTERS AT ROYAL ASCOT

2003: CHOISIR – WON King's Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes; BELLE DU JOUR – 15th Golden Jubilee Stakes.

2006: TAKEOVER TARGET – WON King's Stand Stakes, 3rd Golden Jubilee. FALKIRK – 4th King's Stand Stakes. GLAMOUR PUSS – 7th King's Stand Stakes, 10th Golden Jubilee Stakes.

2007: MISS ANDRETTI – WON King's Stand Stakes, 15th Golden Jubilee Stakes, TAKEOVER TARGET – 4th King's Stand Stakes, 2nd Golden Jubilee Stakes. MAGNUS – 3rd King's Stand Stakes, 14th Golden Jubilee Stakes. BENTLEY BISCUIT – 30th King's Stand Stakes.

2008: TAKEOVER TARGET – 2nd King's Stand Stakes, 4th Golden Jubilee. MAGNUS – 8th King's Stand Stakes.

2009: SCENIC BLAST – WON King's Stand Stakes

2010: NICCONI – 4th King's Stand Stakes. GOLD TRAIL – 10th King's Stand Stakes. ALVERTA – 14th Golden Jubilee Stakes. NB: Australian-bred Starspangledbanner won Golden Jubilee Stakes for Aidan O'Brien.

2011: STAR WITNESS – 2nd King's Stand Stakes, 3rd Golden Jubilee Stakes.

2012: BLACK CAVIAR – WON Diamond Jubilee Stakes. ORTENSIA – 9th King's Stand Stakes.

2013: SHAMEXPRESS – 9th King's Stand Stakes. SEA SIREN – 9th Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

2015: BRAZEN BEAU – 2nd Diamond Jubilee Stakes. WANDJINA – 6th Diamond Jubilee Stakes. SHAMAL WIND – 13th King's Stand Stakes.

2016: HOLLER – 7th Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

2018: REDKIRK WARRIOR – 10th Diamond Jubilee Stakes. NB: Australian-bred Merchant Navy won Diamond Jubilee Stakes for Aidan O'Brien

2019: HOUTZEN – 8th King's Stand Stakes.

2022: NATURE STRIP – WON King's Stand Stakes. ARTORIUS – 3rd Platinum Jubilee Stakes. HOME AFFAIRS – 20th Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

2023: COOLANGATTA – 11th  King's Stand Stakes. ARTORIUS – 4th Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. CANNONBALL – 17th King's Stand Stakes, failed to finish Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. THE ASTROLOGIST – 5th Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

2024: ASFOORA – WON King's Stand Stakes.


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