Australia’s flying mare Asfoora was unable to repeat her York heroics in Ireland, finishing seventh in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes (1000m) at The Curragh overnight.
Sent out the $4.50 favourite with online bookmakers on the back of her dazzling Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes win at York, Asfoora was undone by the yielding ground, with new jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle explaining the mare couldn’t find her acceleration on the tacky surface. She finished less than three lengths behind winner Arizona Blaze.
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𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞 atones for a Nunthorpe no-show in the Flying Five at the Curragh! 💨 pic.twitter.com/y4RSujq08W
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“I thought I was going to come with a nice run but when I let her down she just didn’t quicken up on the ground,” McMonagle said. “She was beside the winner the whole way and travelled well, but she just couldn’t find the gear when it mattered. She’ll be fine when she gets back on top of the ground.”
Trainer Henry Dwyer echoed those sentiments, confirming Asfoora pulled up in good order despite her unplaced effort. “She was only beaten a couple of lengths. It wasn’t a bad run, she just struggled in that sticky ground. Dylan said she didn’t feel overly at home, which is understandable,” Dwyer said.
While Ireland wasn’t to be, Asfoora’s European adventure may not be over. Connections are weighing up a tilt at the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye (1000m) at Longchamp during the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe carnival in early October, provided conditions are firmer.
Punters can follow Asfoora’s next steps and secure early international betting odds through Australia’s leading betting sites.
