Last year’s race Winner: Asfoora Jockey: Oisin Murphy Trainer: Henry Dwyer Owner: Noor Elaine Farm Pty Ltd Age: 5 Weight: 9st 4lbs Starting Price: 5/1 Season Form Figures: 2044 Previous Best: 1st - Schillaci Stakes (Group 2), Caulfield (AUS) (October 2023) By Paul Jones Formerly known as the King’s Stand, again we look set to have an international flavour with last season’s Australian-trained winner, Asfoora, heading the ante-post market. British-trained horses have won six of the last ten runnings having previously been up against it since the sprinting scene became more global. In addition to the six Australian-trained winners from 2003 onwards, there were international successes in 2013 and 2014 (both by Sole Power for Ireland), in 2017 when Lady Aurelia won for America, three wins for France between 1997-2005, Little Bridge for Hong Kong in 2012 and even a Spanish-trained winner in 2008 when Equiano recorded his first of two successes in the race. Asfoora was described as only the eighth-best sprinter Down Under entering last season by her trainer but she was she still good enough to beat the best 5f European sprinters to give an idea of the gulf between the two hemispheres in this division. Two years earlier Native Strip whopped the home continent putting up the performance of the meeting winning by 4½l as a seven-year-old. If Asfoora can go back-to-back, then she’ll be emulating Sole Power and Blue Point in the last 11 years. Equiano is also a dual winner this century in 2008 and 2010 so it’s been a good contest for previous winners of the race in more recent times. Last season Asfoora was sent over for a prep race in the Temple Stakes but not so this time. Three of Australia’s six King Charles III winners (all since 2003) won the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February (won this season by Skybird) and Nature Strip was only was beaten a short-head in attempting to win back-to-back runnings of that Grade 1 contest. Given how outnumbered they are, fillies/mares have a decent strike rate winning seven of the last 31 runnings so that’s another tick in Asfoorfa’s box. Believing is another representing the girls and after a succession of big runs in defeat last season at the highest level at 5f, she finally landed her Grade 1 at Meydan, though over 6f. She was fourth when favourite for the 6f Group 1 sprint at Royal Ascot before winning a Group 2 and placing in three Group 1s all at 5f. Age is not a critical factor with recent winners aged from three right through to seven in the last decade but, over a longer period of time, three-year-olds have a decent-enough strike rate winning, on average, twice a decade which may not sound exciting but they are always heavily outnumbered so do afford them respect. However, the Commonwealth Cup over 6f restricted to the Classic generation is likely to take some contenders away from this 5f contest. The shortest-priced three-year-old looks set to be Storm Boy who was last of nine on his first run for Aidan O’Brien since leaving Australia when in need of the run and is expected to take a big leap forward. O’Brien has won the Group 1 sprint over 6f at Royal Ascot with two former Aussies in Starspangledbanner and Merchant Navy (as a three-year-old). Four three-year-olds have won this Group 1 5f sprint this century. The Temple Stakes won by Mgheera (so another contender for the girls), who overcame a slow start, has been the best guide featuring seven winners since 1990 so two ahead of the Prix du Gros-Chene with five winners in the last 29 years. Thirteen of the last 25 winners were also successful on their most recent outing, in fact, 14 of the last 20 winners finished first or second last time out. As you would expect for a competitive Group 1 sprint, pattern-race winners have come to the fore with 27 of the last 36 winners having already won at Group 1 or Group 2 level so no massive angle there. All but four of the last 25 winners had also won a Group race over the minimum trip of five furlongs (also to be expected) and all bar two of those last 23 winners had enjoyed the benefit of a run earlier in the season (still nothing to get particularly excited about). At a glance summary Positives Last-time-out winners Trained in Australia Contested the Temple Stakes Top-four finish in the Prix du Gros-Chene Fillies/mares Previous winner of the race Negatives Outside the first two last time out Failed to win a Group 1 or Group 2 Failed to win a Group race over 5f