Racing
Blinkers likely for Asfoora at Royal Ascot
Trainer Henry Dwyer has worked Asfoora in a set of blinkers in her build up to Royal Ascot.
A set of blinkers are likely to be added to the race day gear of Asfoora in her title defence at Royal Ascot.
Trainer Henry Dwyer said he had an itch that needed scratching as he considered putting blinkers on Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes at the Royal meeting next week.
Asfoora worked in blinkers on the July course at Newmarket on Monday and Dwyer liked what he saw from the mare in the hit-out over 800m.
"I've always wanted to put blinkers on her but it's always a bit hard to change things when they're going really well," Dwyer told RSN.
"It's a bit of an itch to scratch with the blinkers and I reckon they will help her find a length a two.
"We threw them on in trackwork, just to make sure she would be OK with them, she was.
"I dare say we will put them on when she runs next Tuesday."
Dwyer feels Asfoora may have become complacent since winning the Group 3 Irwin Stakes (1100m) first-up at Morphettville on April 12.
Asfoora followed up running seventh in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) on April 26 before running second in a 900m trial at Flemington on May 23.
"She won at Royal Ascot last year and we thought, 'you can't put them on now'," Dwyer said.
"She won well first-up and I just thought she was entitled to go a bit better in Adelaide, despite the fact it was 1200 metres and despite the fact she was a bit flat, maybe.
"I thought she was a bit below her best and she trialled at Flemington just before she left and once again, she didn't do as much as she should.
"Her recovery has been a lot better this preparation and I think it's a legacy of her reserving her energy a bit more.
"She was always a bit wound up, but now she's been a bit more complacent.
"I think she's going well, but there's just one thing missing, and I hope it's the blinkers."
Dwyer said Oisin Murphy, who partnered Asfoora in her European campaign last year, was aboard in Monday's gallop.
He said Asfoora was not in the same condition she was on arrival 12 months ago having been caught in Australia for an extra four weeks.
"It wasn't ideal how we went about getting here and I think she only looks a seven-out-of-ten," Dwyer said.
"The work was fantastic, but there is room for improvement in her looks.
"Last year it was similar. She really blossomed from being here three or four weeks after having that first-up run leading into Ascot.
"This year we haven't had that luxury. She looks scrubby, wintry and a bit dull and that's just a legacy of spending an extra month in Ballarat in four-degree conditions as opposed to the other horses that have been here in summer for a bit.
"She will catch up when she reacclimatises, but it just hasn't happened yet."
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