Royal Ascot: Asfoora, Charyn earn Breeders’ Cup spots

Australian star mare Asfoora sprinted away with the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes in a thrilling finish Tuesday at Royal Ascot to secure a guaranteed start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Earlier in the program, in the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge race to be run in Europe this year and the traditional curtain-raiser of the Royal Ascot meeting, Charyn was an impressive winner of the Queen Anne Stakes  (G1), landing an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races in 12 countries, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.

Oisin Murphy timed his run to perfection on the Australian-bred Asfoora to win the five-furlong King Charles III Stakes for trainer Henry Dwyer. The 5-year-old Asfoora joins Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009) and Nature Strip (2022) on the Australian-bred and -trained roll of honor in what was formerly the King’s Stand Stakes.

“The Breeders’ Cup came on the radar a fair while ago when they told me it was at Del Mar, ‘Where the turf meets the surf!’ ” Dwyer said. “We’ve heard great things about Del Mar, and I was very excited to put it on the itinerary provisionally. … We’ll have another run or two in England and then it wouldn’t shock me to see her over in America. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.”

Asfoora finished fourth in her British debut, the May 25 Temple Stakes (G2) at Haydock, but she clearly enjoyed the better ground at Ascot. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Big Evs, the 11-4 favorite, quickly took control from the start in the 17-horse field, but there was no stopping Asfoora once she got into her stride. The Ed Bethell-trained Regional stayed on late to finish second, with Big Evs checking in third. Sent off at odds of 5-1, Asfoora finished the race in 58.60 seconds over a course rated good to firm.

“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,” Dwyer added. “It’s amazing. I think there will be the mother of all parties tonight! That was my third Group 1 winner. To do it here at Royal Ascot is just amazing.”

A return to the Breeders’ Cup also is likely to be top of the agenda for Big Evs. His trainer Mick Appleby was pleased with the performance despite defeat and will look to campaign his star sprinter on more speed-favoring tracks, like Del Mar.

“He’s run very well; he showed a lot of speed early on and the stiff finish just caught up with him in the last half-furlong,” Appleby said. “He’s taking on the older horses, the best sprinters in the world, and he’s held his own against them. He’s only going to improve on that as he gets older. He’s rapid and he’s better on a quicker track. It’s a bit stiff at Ascot, so we’ll possibly go back to Goodwood with him then hopefully we’ll go back to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Charyn closes strongly in Queen Anne

Facing 12 rivals in the Queen Anne, 10-3 favorite Charyn settled just off the pace, with the two French-trained horses Big Rock and Facteur Cheval racing apart from the rest of the field. The action developed on the near side of the course, and Charyn collared the long-time leader Audience with two furlongs remaining. Docklands emerged from the chasing pack, but Charyn had enough in the tank to repel the runner-up and had 2 1/4 lengths in hand at the line. Docklands finished second with Maljoom third.

The winning time over the one mile was 1:38.04. It was the first Group 1 at Royal Ascot for both trainer Roger Varian and jockey Silvestre De Sousa.

“It doesn’t get any better, a Group 1 at Royal Ascot,” Varian said. “I’m so delighted. Charyn seems to have found another level of form this year. His run in the Lockinge Stakes (G1) last time was an outstanding run, and he’s confirmed that today, so I’m thrilled.”

Looking to the future, Varian added: “We love the Breeders’ Cup, and we love being there with a genuine contender. It’s something we’ll have to discuss with his owner.”