King Charles III sees Ballarat horse win ‘his’ race

MINERS Rest thoroughbred Asfoora delivered a regal performance to win the King Charles III Stakes in front of the King himself last week.

The mare trained by Ballarat’s Henry Dwyer had finished fourth on her British debut in the Temple Stakes at Haydock last month, but she clearly enjoyed the faster ground at Royal Ascot to become Australia’s sixth winner of this race by a length.

Market leader Big Evs (Tom Marquand) quickly took control of the five-furlong contest, but there was no stopping Asfoora once she made her move towards the closing stages.

At the furlong marker the daughter of Australian star Flying Artie sat alongside the early leader before clicking into top gear for Oisin Murphy to bolt ahead and score at 5-1, with Ed Bethell’s Regional (Callum Rodriguez) claiming second ahead of the Mick Appleby-trained 11-4 favourite Big Evs.

Asfoora joins Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009) and Nature Strip (2022) on the Australian roll of honour in what was formerly the King’s Stand Stakes.

A jubilant Dwyer said: “We’ve got so many people here – not only the owners of Asfoora, but 40 or 50 of my owners from home who would saw the end of their leg off to have a runner at Royal Ascot.

“It’s amazing. I think there will be the mother of all parties tonight,” he said.

“We needed a lead-up run at Haydock, so she came over early, but just with the changing of seasons we wanted to be here before it was too cold in Australia and too warm over here.

“We came over in the nice interchange period, and we need not have worried because she settled in brilliantly, and the proof was in the pudding today.

“That was my third Group One winner. To do it here, at Royal Ascot, is just amazing.”