Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
TTR AusNZ spoke to trainer Henry Dwyer about his wonderful sprinting mare Asfoora (Flying Artie) who runs in the G2 King George Qatar S. on Friday, August 2nd (local time). The latest pride of Australian sprinting won the G1 Royal Ascot King Charles III S. (previously the King’s Stand S.) at her last start.
“She’s very good,” said trainer Henry Dwyer. “We’re about 24 hours away from raceday at Goodwood. She’s in good order. We gave her two weeks in the paddock after Ascot, then back on the treadmill and work. It’s a very quick 1000 metre run at Goodwood, so it’s not really about fitness. She needs a bit of dash in the legs, nice and fresh and sharp and that’s how she is.”
“She’s (Asfoora) very good... We’re about 24 hours away from raceday at Goodwood. She’s in good order.”
Owned by Akram El-Fahkri’s Noor Elaine Farm, Asfoora has won nine of her 20 career starts, and one of her two starts in England.
It's not just the training styles that are different to home
“It was my first time having a runner in Europe,” Dwyer said about the trip. “There’s a lot of differences, systems wise, how they nominate horses etc. We’ve been fortunate to stay with Amy Murphy who is a good young trainer here. She’s been terrific. The environment is so different here compared to Ballarat with big open tracks and spaces. It’s hard to work out how much work each horse is doing. Asfoora has adapted so well to it, which has helped.
Ballarat Racing Club
“For me, it’s been great meeting trainers, chewing the fat, comparing and contrasting the different ways to do things and learning all the time.”
Track conditions to suit
In the G2 Haydock Temple S. where Asfoora ran fourth in her European debut, the track was rated soft with heavy in some parts, while at Ascot the track was rated good to firm.
“The weather is beautiful this week. For Ascot the weather was average, only about 20 each day, but we are in the full swing of summer now, 27 each day, a few showers for Goodwood but it’s beautiful here at Newmarket.
Henry Dwyer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Goodwood is an amazingly scenic racecourse. I visited there before Ascot to have a look, and I’ve been invited by the committee to the Goodwood Ball tonight (Thursday). I’m seated with John Gosden and Mark Johnston who are two of the biggest trainers here. I’m sure we’ll enjoy plenty of beers and have some robust discussion!”
Taking a horse to Ascot and beyond is a big decision
“It was ballsy in the sense that it’s expensive. I’m sure if it had of been any other horse the owners would have said no, but Akram backed me 100%. It might have sounded silly to others to come here, but there weren’t any suitable races for her over 1000 metres at home. She’s not at her best at 1200, and she won’t be running into horses like Imperatriz over here. We are lucky, in a way, that this is probably a year where Europe’s five furlong horses aren’t their best, with all respect to them. Most importantly, there’s a succession of races for her here that she doesn’t have at home.
“Certainly the pressure is off now that she’s won at Ascot. We are treating Goodwood as a nice leadup to her next main target which is at York (the G1 Nunthorpe S. over 1000 metres) and there’s plenty of options everywhere after that, in France etc.”
Asfoora's race record so far
Asfoora debuted at Coolac as a December 3-year-old and won her first three starts in succession all over 1000 and 1100 metres. She ran third to Argentia (Frankel {GB}) in the G3 Kevin Hayes S. over 1200 metres at her final start at three.
Back at four, she won three of her four starts in the spring including the G2 Caulfield Sprint, then in the autumn, she ran third first up in the G1 Oakleigh Plate before her first trip out of Victoria to contest the G1 Galaxy Handicap in Sydney where she ran fourth.
“The plan to go to Europe started a year earlier. We took her to The Quokka, not just for the prizemoney, but also to give her that valuable experience in travelling. Early in her career, she was a very busy filly and there’d be no way she’d cope with travel, but all these experiences have brought her on mentally. She’s like an old gelding now, so quiet and adaptable.”
She ran fourth in the 2023 The Quokka. After a spell, she returned in the spring to win the G3 Heath S. first up before running into Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), when second to the star mare in the G1 AJ Moir S. before she won the G2 Schillaci S. She ended that spring with a rare miss in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic. Back in the autumn, she was second in the G2 Rubiton S. then missed in the G1 Oakleigh Plate before running fourth in the G1 Galaxy S. which was her final Australian start.
What comes next for the flying filly?
“She’s five now. There is the question about if we get her in foal to something like Dubawi or Frankel while she’s here but Akram wants to keep her in work. He’s enjoying racing her, and she’s got good earning potential on the track. He isn’t desperate from the money and he’s not going to sell her as a broodmare either, and will breed from her himself. There’s no rush to retire her.
Asfoora | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We might even do the same thing again next year as there’s not much for her (at home). Perhaps run in the Lightning and then come here again.”
