'It's an incredible buzz to be validated' - Asfoora bounces back in Nunthorpe

Australian mare Asfoora has won her second international Group 1 race in the UK, producing a brilliant turn of foot on dry ground to win the Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m) at York and justify trainer Henry Dwyer’s faith in the sprinter.

Bouncing back to winning form after two unplaced runs in Britain this campaign, Asfoora’s trainer Dwyer is now “full steam ahead” to the Flying Five at the Curragh in Ireland next month with the daughter of Flying Artie, last year’s Group 1 King Charles III Stakes winner at Royal Ascot.

Asfoora, bred and raced by Melbourne businessman Akram El-Fahkri, started an 11/1 chance on the back of her two unplaced runs in this year’s King Charles and the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood but a good to firm surface at York on a flat track made all the difference.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, she had a 1-1/4 length margin over runner-up Ain’t Nobody (100-1) and Frost At Dawn (10-1) a nose away in third.

"It seems surreal, silly, and it's all been a novelty. I've really been on a holiday with her the last two years," Dwyer said post-race.

"It was all getting a bit hard before Ascot as we didn't have the transport, and if I'm 100 per cent honest, if I owned her I wouldn't have come back. Akram was very insistent we did and that she deserved another chance.

"I'd love to see the replay as I was under a scrum of people for the last bit, but that looked very convincing. When you know they're going to win at the two-furlong marker, you're on pretty good terms with yourself. It was an easy watch and really enjoyable."

ASFOORA! 🚀

Group One success in the @coolmorestud Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes 🥇@yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/Zp71FRm58r
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 22, 2025

Asfoora finished fourth in last year’s edition in what was her final run of that campaign before returning to Australia.

"It was really disappointing last year but we really thought she was on song this time. We knew there were no excuses for this – it was win or be retired," Dwyer said.

"It's an incredible buzz to be validated with what you think. A few people were doubting her and it's hard to keep faith when they're not winning, but we made sure to never lose it.

"We didn't set out to come over here again, it was just that there were no options for her in Australia. The programme just doesn't cater for five-furlong horses over there and it was looking a bit dicey this year, but she's done it again."

While Ireland, possibly France and even America could see Asfoora continue her international sojourn this year, Dwyer hasn’t ruled out returning to Europe again next year.

"She'll tell us if she doesn't want to be racing any more, but after that you can't say that's the case," he said.

"She's been a once-in-a-lifetime horse for two years in a row and who knows, maybe three. That'll be a decision for Akram. He's a sportsman and would love to keep her going, why wouldn't you? We can't rule out coming back next year, but she owes us nothing."

Another Australian sprinting mare, the Paul Messara-trained Ortensia, won the 2012 Nunthorpe.