Dwyer presses on with Asfoora despite latest defeat

Henry Dwyer says he is refusing to give up on star sprinter Asfoora despite the mare’s disappointing start to her latest European campaign ahead of a planned return to Royal Ascot.

The reigning King Charles III Stakes winner has struggled in two runs this season, including a last-place finish in the Temple Stakes at Haydock, but Dwyer believes more suitable conditions at Ascot can spark a turnaround.

Dwyer said chopped-up ground at Haydock worked against the seven-year-old mare and indicated blinkers would be reapplied in a bid to sharpen her focus for next month’s Royal Ascot assignment.

The Ballarat trainer told the Racing Post that Asfoora would soon race again under his own name as he works towards securing a British training licence after previously campaigning the mare through Newmarket-based trainer Lemos de Souza.

Asfoora aside, Dwyer is expanding his ambitions in Britain with several horses under his care, including Royal Ascot hopeful Synners Kid along with a small group of two-year-olds purchased for European racing.

Dwyer said modern technology and support from his Newmarket team had allowed him to effectively manage horses from Australia while building what he described as a flexible seasonal operation in Britain.

He added that the experience of competing at Royal Ascot continued to hold enormous appeal for Australian owners, many of whom are travelling to England to follow Asfoora and the stable’s growing international team.