King George Test For Asfoora

Having extended the Australian legacy at Royal Ascot, Noor Elaine Farm's Asfoora (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) heads to Goodwood on Friday to bid to add the G2 King George Qatar Stakes to last month's G1 King Charles III Stakes victory. Burdened with a five-pound penalty in this rapid affair, the Henry Dwyer-trained veteran who has continued to acclimatise in Newmarket was the subject of a positive bulletin from her handler this week.

“I obviously hadn't seen her since the day she won at Ascot, but I couldn't be happier with her,” he explained. “She's just amazing, in great order and has really settled in well now. The good weather over here has really brought her on. She had two weeks in the paddock in the sunshine after the Royal Ascot race and I think that's really been the making of her. When she ran in Ascot she was still a little bit wintry and a little bit dull in her coat, but now you wouldn't see a better-coated horse in the whole of Newmarket I reckon–she looks outstanding.”

“Watching the replays of Goodwood, they run along and half the field's off the bridle to keep up but she's got very good, natural cruising speed so I think she'll be one of the ones that goes three-quarters of the way on the bridle and then she's got a good turn of foot,” he added. “I can't see the track being an issue. We always thought it would suit her better than Ascot and York would suit her better than Ascot, so hopefully that's the case.”

Among Asfoora's rivals is last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), who was suffering something of a surprise reversal when third in the Royal Ascot sprint but who has previous on this fast track having won the G3 Molecomb Stakes last year. Trainer Mick Appleby is hoping that course-and-distance experience will give him the edge in his second bout with the Aussie mare. “He came out of Ascot absolutely fine and has been in great order, so hopefully he can go and run well,” he said. “Goodwood will definitely suit him better than Ascot, but it is still a top race, there's plenty of speed horses in there and it's not going to be a gimme.”

If there is one who could enter the fray from leftfield it is Dr Eva Nieslanikova's Czech raider Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}), who was fifth in this in 2022 and sixth 12 months ago but has reinvented himself in Italy and France of late. After wins in the Listed Premio Certosa, G3 Prix de Saint-Georges and G2 Prix du Gros-Chene, he is ready to rumble.

The Lure Of The Thoroughbred…

Goodwood's card also includes the G3 Thoroughbred Stakes, which will always be synonymous with the great Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who used it as a vault to bigger things two years ago. Interestingly, Newmarket's Listed Henry Cecil Stakes which the Shadwell star also captured seems to have become the stepping stone to this and the first, third and fourth Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Socialite (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) are set to re-oppose here.

Connections of Lead Artist seemed a touch disappointed with his defeat at the July Festival, which suggests he is considered a high-class prospect, while another Juddmonte representative in the line-up is last year's G1 Middle Park Stakes runner-up Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The operation's European racing manager Barry Mahon is hoping for improvement from the pair. “They are two nice horses and we are probably trying to learn a bit about both of them, hence why we are letting them run,” he said.

“I think Lead Artist didn't appreciate the soft ground the last day in Newmarket and it was a bit of a messy race–there was one group up the middle and we were on the far side on the slowest ground. We are looking forward to seeing him back on a sounder surface and we still think he is a colt with plenty of potential moving forward.”

“We're just in a little bit of limbo with Task Force, in the Guineas he ran a good race but the Jersey was a bit messy and we didn't really learn much that day,” he added. “He looked to us like he wants further and I think Goodwood on Friday, stepping up to a mile on a sound surface, is going to pinpoint to us whether he is a mile horse, a mile-plus or where we are going with him. It could be that he has not trained on from two to three, I think we'll find answers to all the questions like that on Friday, but his work at home has been solid and I do think he has done well from two to three, so we just need to get back on the right path with him.”

Quite where Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is at present remains to be seen, with his G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains second and Derby sixth followed by a no-show in the G1 Eclipse. Trainer Roger Teal wants some answers. “I felt the Eclipse was a tough run for him in that ground and ideally we shouldn't have run him and I just wanted to find something easier for him so we could regroup really and see how we get on,” he said. “He was a bit quiet for a week after Sandown, it took a lot out of him, but he seems to be back to himself now and I'm happy with him.”