Asfoora Made History at York and Secured a Spot in the Breeders’ Cup

The Australian mare prevailed against the colts in the Nunthorpe Stakes, once again shining on the British sprint scene

Asfoora captured her second G1 victory in England / BREEDERS' CUP

YORSKSHIRE, Inglaterra (Special for Turf Diario).- The Australian mare Asfoora (Flying Artie) continued her European brilliance with a commanding performance this Friday in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York, also securing an automatic berth to the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) on November 1 at Del Mar through the Win and You’re In program.

Racing for Noor Elaine Farm Pty Ltd. and trained by Henry Dwyer, the 7-year-old mare produced a historic triumph: she became only the second Australian to win this prestigious sprint, following in the footsteps of Ortensia (Testa Rossa), the 2012 winner.

Always well-positioned, Asfoora settled smoothly behind the pacesetter Night Raider (Dark Angel), tracking inside with complete control. In the final stages, as the Irish runner began to tire, jockey Oisin Murphy asked little of her, and at 200 meters out she surged to the lead and never looked back.

Frost At Dawn (Frosted) and Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle) tried to challenge, but lacked the decisive spark in the final strides. From the rear, Ain’t Nobody (Sands of Mali) closed strongly, gaining ground in the closing meters, but could not threaten the Royal Ascot winner. Asfoora crossed the wire 1¼ lengths clear, completing the 1000 meters in 57.38 seconds on ground rated good to firm. Frost At Dawn finished third by a nose, while favorite Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev), sent off at 9-2, never factored.

For Murphy, it was a dream day and his first win in this top sprint: “She was in spectacular condition. It’s not easy to bring a horse from Australia two years in a row and have them at this level. She traveled comfortably and, when I asked, responded with everything. She was electric,” the jockey said, praising the team.

Trainer Henry Dwyer was equally proud: “This is very special. We knew she was at her peak. It’s not about the money, it’s about the experience. That was our motto last year and it is this year as well. Hopefully we can continue like this for a long time.”

Asfoora’s end-of-season path is already mapped out: the Flying Five Stakes (G1) at Curragh and the Prix de l’Abbaye (G1) at ParisLongchamp are her next major targets. If all goes well, the Australian star will travel to Del Mar to face the world’s best in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

“Last year we were thinking about the Breeders’ Cup, but she was past her peak. This year is different; we believe she’s reaching her peak now and hopefully can maintain it through November,” Dwyer explained.

With this victory, Asfoora not only extends her European campaign but also underscores the growing dominance of Australian sprinters on the international stage. In York, the green and gold flag once again flew at the top.