Asfoora has added her name to the elite list of Australian sprinters to succeed in Britain, joining the likes of Black Caviar, Nature Strip, Takeover Target and Choisir.
While trainer Henry Dwyer concedes his mare may not be held in the same regard as those champions, he said her European triumphs had delivered unforgettable moments from his Ballarat base, more than 10,000 miles away.
“We know what the days of Black Caviar were like and we’re under no illusions, we’re not her or Nature Strip,” Dwyer said.
“But she’s picked her market and runs her race when circumstances are right. This is one of the biggest sprints in Europe and it’s just amazing.”
Dwyer praised owner Akram El-Fahkri for insisting on a second northern hemisphere campaign, admitting he would not have made the trip on his own.
“It seems surreal, silly, and it’s all been a novelty. I’ve really been on a holiday with her the last two years,” he said.
“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.”
