Twenty years on from their breakthrough success, Australian raiders will be aiming to plunder more prize money at Royal Ascot 2025 as the famous racing festival approaches.
Royal Ascot is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious horse racing events and King Charles and royalty will be in attendance once again in June.
It is more than two decades since Choisir put Australian flat racing firmly on the map when scoring in the old King’s Stand Stakes in 2003.
Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast would also land that five-furlong sprint in the late 2000s, before the wonder-mare Black Caviar travelled to Britain in 2012 and claimed a thrilling victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Following a ten-year drought, Nature Strip ended Australia’s wait for another Royal Ascot sprinting success with an emphatic triumph in the King’s Stand. That Group One proved lucky for Aussie raiders again in 2024, as Oisin Murphy guided Asfoora to victory in the inaugural running of the King Charles III Stakes.
Henry Dwyer’s mare went close on her final two outings in Britain last season, losing out to Big Evs in the King George Stakes at Goodwood, before a fourth-place finish in the Nunthorpe.
Asfoora made a successful return to action in 2025 by winning the R N Irwin Stakes at Morphettville, after which Dwyer was keen to take his top sprinter back to Royal Ascot.
“If they invite us, we’ll definitely go there.” Dwyer was quoted by horse racing site Bets.com.au. “She had four runs over there last year, she’s a six-year-old mare, seven-year-old their time, so there’s not a lot next year and it’s all about this year.”
“We’ll race her as long as she’s enjoying it and if she proves that in Adelaide and wants to hop on the plane, we’ll do that – and if not, she’s given us a good ride. If she does go, she’ll be running as much as we can.”
British racing fans can usually expect a healthy contingent of Aussie raiders at the Royal meeting. However, Asfoora’s aside, it’s hard to find any other Australian horses who’ll be making the pilgrimage to Berkshire in June.
Via Sistina, who was once trained in Britain by George Boughey, looks likely to remain on home soil after breaking Winx’s record of Group One wins in a single season. Top sprinter, Storm Boy was transferred from Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott to Aidan O’Brien at the start of the year, and the Freedman’s duo of Isthmus and Right To Party have both sustained season-ending injuries.
Mitchell Freedman sent out the mare Skybird to win the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes back in February. Nature Strip scored in that Grade Two before heading to the Royal meeting, and Coolnagatta attempted the Lightning Stakes and King’s Stand double in 2023, so Skybird could possibly follow in their footsteps.
Switzerland went into the Lightning as the firm-favourite, following an excellent three-year-old campaign. Chris Waller’s star could only finish fourth that day, and has suffered further defeats in the Canterbury Stakes and the TJ Smith since, but could still make his British debut in the six-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
That six-furlong contest could also be an option for Briasa, who upset Switzerland when claiming a narrow victory in the TJ Smith Stakes. The Hawkens’ gelding didn’t quite see out seven furlongs when fourth in the All Aged Stakes, but a Royal invite would have been issued to connections of Briasa following the TJ Smith and he could be one of the stand-out entries on the final day at Ascot.