Royal Ascot 2025: Your complete guide to all the action as Australian horses, trainers and jockeys descend on famous carnival
Asfoora is back to defend her title but she isn’t the only Australian interest at England’s famous Royal Ascot carnival this week. Here’s Ray Thomas’s full preview to all the action this week.
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Asfoora is back to defend her title but she isn’t the only Australian interest at England’s famous Royal Ascot carnival this week.
Champion jockeys James McDonald and Mark Zahra are riding, the nation’s premier trainer Ciaron Maher has a starter, Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest and runner-up Lazzat are racing, Coolmore’s crack colt Storm Boy is on a redemption mission and leading Sydney bookmakers Rob Waterhouse and Warren Woodcock will be fielding at Royal Ascot.
The Henry Dwyer-trained Asfoora is making a historic attempt to win a second successive Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m) on Tuesday night.
Despite the dominance of the Aussie sprinters at Royal Ascot in the last two decades, Asfoora is trying to join trailblazer Choisir as the only dual winner at England’s prestigious racing carnival.
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Choisir scored famous wins in the King’s Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes in 2003.
The King’s Stand, now known as the King Charles III Stakes, has since been won by Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009), Nature Strip (2022) and Asfoora last year.
Black Caviar (2012) is the only other Australian-trained sprinter to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (formerly Golden Jubilee) although Starspangledbanner (2010) and Merchant Navy (2018) won the race after being transferred to Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Asfoora is the $5 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds for the feature sprint which is run at 12.40am Wednesday.
Asfoora has done it!!! She wins the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot! You beauty! 🇦🇺 @HDwyerRacingpic.twitter.com/1WMat9Voye
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 18, 2024
• ‘I’m just not sure about her this year’: Francesca Cumani reveals Asfoora doubts
“I feel like there is less pressure this year as she has been there and done it,’’ Dwyer told the English media.
“It’s an expensive trip and there’s huge costs involved, but she was able to repay us last year and the money is in the bank now.
“This year is a bonus, she owes us nothing and we’re just here for the experience and the fun of it. We’re happy with her and hopefully she runs well.
Dwyer has retained Irish jockey Oisin Murphy for Asfoora with the only difference to last year being the decision to put blinkers on the mare.
“The blinkers might add that little one per cent we need,’’ the trainer said.
Take a spin down the famous @FlemingtonVRC straight with Asfoora and @AitkenMitch .
— Henry Dwyer Racing (@HDwyerRacing) May 23, 2025
Ready, set, go for Royal Ascot ✈ï¸ðŸ‡¬ðŸ‡§ðŸ¦˜
📹 @RisingSunSynd
👨ðŸ»â€ðŸ’» @JarroydMartinpic.twitter.com/Lpvp6a6NbS
• Gollan’s trip of a lifetime to Royal Ascot
McDonald, Sydney’s champion jockey and currently the leader in this year’s World Jockey Rankings, is riding the first three days at Royal Ascot.
He has two Group 1 rides on the opening day with English sprinter Aesterius in the King Charles and also American star Carl Spackler in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) which opens the Royal Ascot carnival at 11.30pm.
Carl Spackler, a three-time US Group 1 winner including the Maker’s Mark Stakes at Keeneland last start, is now trained by Maher and will join his Australian stables after the English summer.
Zahra, Melbourne’s top jockey, is having one ride at Royal Ascot and on the OTI-owned Docklands in the Queen Anne.
TAB Fixed Odds betting has Carl Spackler at $13 and Docklands at $15 behind the outstanding Rosallion who won the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.
• Littlefield eyes Royal Ascot-Glorious Goodwood double
Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest, trained by English maestro William Haggas, is also among Queen Anne contenders and is an $11 chance.
Lake Forest defeated French star Lazzat in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill last spring and the latter is early favourite at $3.60 for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on Saturday night.
Lazzat was unplaced twice at 1600m after his Golden Eagle win but burst back to top form winning a Listed race at Chantilly by more than five lengths last start.
Among Lazzat’s Royal Ascot rivals is former brilliant Sydney sprinter Storm Boy, who is now with Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien.
Storm Boy, winner of last year’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic, Skyline Stakes and San Domenico Stakes when trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, is at $5 in betting for Saturday’s Royal Ascot sprint despite finishing last at his debut for the O’Brien stable at The Curragh last month.
Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has bought into Hey Tru Blue and will be at Royal Ascot to watch the colt race with plans to bring the sprinter to Australia later this year.
Originally published as Royal Ascot 2025: Your complete guide to all the action as Australian horses, trainers and jockeys descend on famous carnival
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