Asfoora Wins York's Nunthorpe For Australia

It's been 13 years since Ortensia (Testa Rossa) claimed a first G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes for Australia and Henry Dwyer trainee Asfoora (Flying Artie) gained just reward for connections' long-held faith, doubling the antipodean tally, with a decisive victory in this year's renewal of the Knavesmire dash.

“I'd love to see the replay because it looked like she won quite convincingly.” said a jubilant Dwyer. “When you know they are going to win at the two-furlong marker you are sort of on pretty good terms with yourself. It was an easy watch and it was great to be around a lot of friends. It was really enjoyable and it's just an incredible buzz to be validated with what you think. It was a little bit dicey and people were doubting her, but we didn't really lose faith. It's always hard to keep faith when they aren't winning, but we knew there were no excuses coming into today. It was win or be retired basically, and she's done the job.”

Asfoora's extended stay in Europe is set to continue and the trainer looked ahead to further Group 1 contests. “The Flying Five in Ireland and the Prix de l'Abbaye in France are options, if she comes through this well,” Dwyer added. Asfoora will become Australia's first runner in Ireland if turning up at the Curragh. “She's a seven-year-old mare and she may tell us she doesn't want to be there any more, but off the back of that result you can't say that is the case. We never set out to come over here, there were just no options back in Australia. Australian racing is amazing and the prizemoney is amazing, but it just doesn't quite cater for five-furlong horses like they do over here. We are under no illusions, we aren't Black Caviar or Ortensia, but she's picked her mark and she's tough. She turns up and runs her race when the circumstances are right and she's done that today. Ortensia is the only Australia sprinter to win the Nunthorpe before and it's probably the second biggest sprint in Europe, so it's amazing for us to win it too.”

Last year's G1 King Charles III Stakes victrix, fourth in the 2024 edition of this five-furlong contest, ran with credit when finishing close up, but out of the places, in June's King Charles III and this month's G2 King George Stakes at Goodwood. She settled under cover behind the front rank after breaking to the fore. Making smooth headway once past halfway, the 11-1 chance loomed large going well soon after angling into the clear approaching the final furlong and dominated the closing stages under an Oisin Murphy drive to defeat 100-1 outsider Ain't Nobody (Sand Of Mali) and Frost At Dawn (Frosted) by 1 1/4 lengths and a nose. The race is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Kevin Ryan was understandably delighted with the effort of the aptly named runner-up Ain't Nobody, winner of last year's Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. “I'm not one to bring horses to make up the numbers, I never have done it and never will,” Ryan said. “It's not about being proved right, it's having faith in the horse and the owners never question what I do. I told them he was in great form and I said we were going to ride him cold as they're going to go hard here. I said we'll ride him like when he won at Royal Ascot and it's worked out a treat.”

William Knight's Frost At Dawn added another placing at the highest level to her resume, having run second in Royal Ascot's G1 King Charles III Stakes. “She's a star and she's placed in a Group 1 again,” he commented. “Of course you want to win these races, so naturally it's a bit frustrating. She was probably a bit slow away, but Mickael [Barzalona] got her up into a nice position. She's one who just needs to go through the gears, but she has run a blinder. She's had plenty of seconds and now a third, but how can you complain? I'd just love to find that win at this level. She's not in the Flying Five, but she is in the Abbaye. The ground might go wrong that day for her and the place I'd really love to go to is Del Mar [for the Breeders' Cup].”

ASFOORA! 🚀

Group One success in the @coolmorestud Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes 🥇@yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/Zp71FRm58r

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 22, 2025

Pedigree Notes
Asfoora (Flying Artie) is the first of five foals and one of two winners from as many runners produced by Golden Child (I Am Invincible), herself kin to the dam of the Listed Hilton Nicholas Straight Six victor Title Fighter (Lean Mean Machine). Asfoora's third dam, Listed Cadbury Roses Stakes runner-up Hard Rider (Maroof), has five stakes performers to her credit headed by multiple stakes-winning G3 W W Cockram Stakes third Hard Stride (Street Sense) and G3 Marsh Breeders' Stakes victrix Big Chill (Artie Schiller). Hard Rider is the leading performer for the stakes-placed Mrs Clancy (Shannon), herself kin to the dams of the Group 1 winners Art Sucess (Pentire) and Hello Dolly (Mi Preferido). Golden Child has a 2024 full-sister to Asfoora to come.

Friday, York, Britain
COOLMORE WOOTTON BASSETT NUNTHORPE STAKES-G1, £697,500, York, 8-22, 2yo/up, 5fT, :57.38, g/f.
1–ASFOORA (AUS), 138, m, 7, by Flying Artie (Aus)
1st Dam: Golden Child (Aus), by I Am Invincible (Aus)
2nd Dam: Predestined (Aus), by King's Best
3rd Dam: Hard Rider (Nz), by Maroof
(24,000 RNA Ylg '20 MGMADE). O-Noor Elaine Farm Pty Ltd; B-Noor Elaine Farm; T-Henry Dwyer; J-Oisin Murphy. £395,552. Lifetime Record: MGSW & MG1SP-Aus, 27-11-3-2, $2,108,890. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ain't Nobody (Ire), 139, c, 3, Sands Of Mali (Fr)–Burmese Waltz (GB), by Showcasing (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (£30,000 Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O-J Blackburn & J Matthews; B-Ballyhane (Rathbride) Umlimited; T-Kevin Ryan. £149,963.
3–Frost At Dawn, 138, f, 4, Frosted–Hawana, by War Front. O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-Rabbah Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-William Knight. £75,051.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, 1. Odds: 11.00, 100.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Night Raider (Ire), Rumstar (GB), Jm Jungle (Ire), Sayidah Dariyan (Ire), Mgheera (GB), Celandine (GB), She's Quality (Ire), Arizona Blaze (GB), Washington Heights (GB), Kerdos (Ire), Lady Iman (Ire), Spartan Arrow (Ire), Manaccan (GB), Spicy Marg (GB).