Asfoora

“It's just surreal really. We had a couple of little pre-race issues, we had to work through those. We were within a minute and a half of not running - I had an Uber driver on a retainer of 200euros to get the mare's passport here in time. We try to experience new things. I've never been to the races in France and here we are winning a Group 1 on Arc day - Henry Dwyer, trainer of Asfoora.Asfoora was fantastic. The sprint course is a fair bit drier than the round course and she was basically on the bridle throughout. She was fortunate to have a plum [low] draw and I didn't have to ask her much but her condition was the best it's been on the build up to this race. She still has her summer coat and it took some amount of management - Oisin Murphy, jockey, speaking to Sky Sports Racing.”

“It seems surreal, silly and it's all been a novelty. I've really been on a holiday with Asfoora the last two years. It was all getting a bit hard before Ascot as we didn't have the transport, and if I'm 100 per cent honest, if I owned her I wouldn't have come back. Akram [El-Fahkri, owner] was very insistent we did and that she deserved another chance. I'd love to see the replay as I was under a scrum of people for the last bit, but that looked very convincing. When you know they're going to win at the two-furlong marker, you're on pretty good terms with yourself. It was an easy watch and really enjoyable. She'll tell us if she doesn't want to be racing any more, but after that you can't say that's the case. She's been a once-in-a-lifetime horse for two years in a row and who knows, maybe three. That'll be a decision for Akram. He's a sportsman and would love to keep her going, why wouldn't you? We can't rule out coming back next year, but she owes us nothing - Henry Dwyer, trainer.”

“Asfoora has run well but she was 6-4 favourite so you like to see those ones win. She didn't so we're probably a little bit disappointed but it's not as though she's run tenth. She's run well but probably not as well as her last couple. I didn't like her last 50 metres, she was there to run second or at least third and she was a little bit plain in that last little bit. Whether she's reached her peak or she's on the way down, or whether she didn't like the track, I'm not sure. We might go to Ireland for the Flying Five but if anything comes out of the run and we're not happy with her she'll be going home - Henry Dwyer, trainer.”

“Asfoora has gone as well as we could have hoped and we're very proud of her. You could just tell about 400 metres after the start she just came off the bridle. She's quick but they were a bit quick for her early. Big Evs controlled his own destiny whereas we were stuck behind a couple and got a bit of a bump which probably cost us the win but she's run well and we're more than happy just to be competing - Henry Dwyer, trainer.”

“We needed a lead-up run at Haydock, so we were always going to come early, but just with the changing of seasons we wanted to be here before it was too cold in Australia and too warm. We came over in the nice interchange period and Asfoora settled in brilliantly. The proof of that was in the pudding today. I've got to have a look at the race conditions again but we'd love to showcase her a bit. Everyone has just been so good to us over here and I'd love to send her down to Goodwood and up to York, but we'll put the horse first - Henry Dwyer, trainer.”