 |
|
| Staff Writer |
 |
Asfoora will bypass a European preparation run and head straight to Royal Ascot to defend her King Charles III Stakes crown next month.
The 6YO mare, trained by Henry Dwyer, had a warm-up in the Temple Stakes at Haydock before her length victory in the Group One five-furlong contest last season, but will take a different approach this time.
After winning a Group Three event at Morphettville recently, Asfoora disappointed when finishing seventh in the Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes at the same track.
"We were hoping to get over there early May and give her a run at Chantilly three weeks out. At the time, I thought we needed to do that but after the Sangster she was a bit flat, so I thought we would probably be better off going in fresh anyway," said Dwyer.
The Australian mare is battling against the southern hemisphere's changing seasons in her build-up to the northern campaign.
"That shouldn't be a worry, it's more so being here longer as the days are getting shorter and getting colder, where over there the days are getting longer and it's getting warmer, so acclimatisation-wise it is not as easy," Dwyer explained.
"But we are trying to rug her up here and keep the lights on at night and try and keep her as summery as possible."
Following a gruelling journey, Asfoora is scheduled to fly from Sydney on May 29, beginning a comprehensive European campaign.
"That plane leaves from Sydney too, so she'll have to have a road trip to Sydney before she even starts the 40-hour trip over there, so there's a bit going on," added the trainer.
After her Ascot engagement, Asfoora will follow a similar path to last season when she finished second in the King George Stakes at Goodwood and fourth in the Nunthorpe at York.
"She'll stay over there for the summer again. She'll go Ascot, then Goodwood, then York and there are other races there in Ireland and France afterwards as well," Dwyer confirmed.