Asfoora retirement on hold after popular sprinter’s gallant defeat at Goodwood

This was expected to be the day when Asfoora, one of the most popular sprinters of recent seasons, ran her last race before heading home to Australia and the breeding paddocks. But the seven-year-old mare could yet have a final outing at Group One level after being ridden by Oisin Murphy to a close fourth behind American Affair in a blanket finish to the King George Stakes.Asfoora already has wins in the three most prestigious five‑furlong events in Europe, having taken the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2024 and the Nunthorpe Stakes, at York, and the Prix de l’Abbaye, at Longchamp, last year. She had been a long way short of that form this season before her fine run here, however, and was due to enter quarantine next week before flying home to Australia.“I don’t normally get too excited but I had the left foot stomping there,” Henry Dwyer, Asfoora’s trainer, said. “Oisin just felt she got left without a bunny for too long. She was left by herself probably 100 metres too early and that probably told in the last 50 metres.“I’m incredibly tempted [by a return to the Nunthorpe next month] but I don’t think it’s my decision. I’ll make a phone call to Akram [El-Fahkri, Asfoora’s owner] and at the end of the day, it’s his money and his horse.“He can decide to do what he wants and I won’t advise him either way, but off today you’d think there’s no reason not to go. The door is ajar.”If Asfoora heads to York next month, she is likely to renew acquaintance with American Affair and Rumstar, who were separated by half a length at the line in Friday’s race.“There have been reasons why he has run bad this year, but he has done everything right today,” Paul Mulrennan, American Affair’s jockey, said, “so touch wood, he comes back from this good. We will enjoy today, but we have the Nunthorpe and possibly [the Breeders’ Cup in] America would be nice.”There was a major surprise earlier on Friday’s card as Talk Of New York, the 2-5 favourite, went down to a half-length defeat behind Shayem in the Thoroughbred Stakes, after being asked for his effort from well off the pace by his rider, William Buick.Talk Of New York was the shortest-priced favourite of the meeting, having finished within two lengths of Bow Echo – the winner of the Sussex Stakes here on Wednesday – in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.He pulled for his head in the early stages and eventually settled several lengths off his frontrunning stable companion, Catullus, while Shayem, the 17-2 second-favourite, was much closer to the lead.With three furlongs of the one-mile trip to run and Catullus and Billy Loughnane still going well in front, it was already clear that Talk Of New York had plenty to do. Catullus was still ahead at the furlong pole but Shayem pressed on soon afterwards and, while Buick set off in pursuit and started to eat into his lead, the favourite ran out of track with half a length still to find.Talk Of New York refused to settle and did not look at home on the track, but it was still not a ride that Buick will feel like adding to his scrapbook. Clifford Lee, on the other hand, was ideally positioned to take advantage on Shayem.“At the top of the hill I thought they’d have to go a bit to go past the lead horse,” Appleby said, “because he’s no mug and he likes the track.“Stretching to the mile was always going to be the undoing of Catullus, stop the clock a furlong out and we were a comfortable winner. William said himself, the front two stole a good march on him, and they’re two sensible horses.”Shayem pulled off a shock when defeating the odds-on favourite Talk Of New York at Goodwood on Friday. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAWhen asked if he felt that Talk Of New York had handled the track, Appleby said: “Well, it is always hard having to quicken from where he was to make that ground up. I’m not using the track as an excuse. I think the winner is sensible and is improving.“Do we need to step up in trip? Possibly. But he has got to learn to settle a little bit as well. That first furlong, he does want to be a little bit aggressive, but I don’t think that was really the undoing of the race, to be fair. The pace was on and they weren’t coming back, at the end of the day.”Far Above has dream chance in Stewards’Trainers seemed in little doubt that the high numbers were the place to be when the stall positions were drawn for Saturday’s Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood, and the fact that George Baker’s speedy gelding Get It, an all-the-way winner from 28 two years ago, has ended up in 27 this time around could make it even more difficult for the far-side runners to get involved.Get It is joined in Saturday’s field by Richard Spencer’s Two Tribes, who posted a convincing success from a high draw 12 months ago, but both previous winners have more weight to carry now and Two Tribes is drawn in 13.Sondad, first home in his group in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot before landing a valuable prize at the Curragh two weeks ago, is a live contender from stall 21, but has less scope for progress than James Owen’s Far Above Dream (3.35), who was five places in front of him at Ascot.The four-year-old is three-from-three over six furlongs at Goodwood, was arguably unlucky not to finish closer to the winner at Ascot as he was forced to switch inside the final quarter-mile, and can race off the same mark from an excellent draw in stall 23.Newmarket 1.33 Three-year-olds have dominated this Listed contest for fillies and mares in recent years and Charlie Appleby’s Romantic Symphony, a full sister to the Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Yibir, can extend the sequence to seven wins from eight.Goodwood 1.50 Ralph Beckett’s Sing Us A Song should find this sharp track more to his liking after a solid run into fifth place in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot last month. That was only his second run beyond a mile-and-a-half and he has scope for further improvement at staying trips.Thirsk 2.08 Mr Swivell posted his best effort of the current campaign when finishing second in a strongly run race at York earlier this month, and the speedy Dain Ma Nut In on his inside should give him a tow into the race.Quick GuideGreg Wood's Saturday tipsShowNewmarket 1.33 Romantic Symphony 2.13 Glamorize 2.48 Jessica 3.23 Lion Of Mali 3.58 First Officer 4.33 Food For Thought 5.10 MerrimackThirsk 1.38 Palm Reader 2.08 Mr Swivell 2.43 Brighton Beach 3.17 Rotokura Belle 3.47 Yorkshire 4.22 La Peregrina 4.55 Kings MerchantGoodwood 1.50 Sing Us A Song 2.25 Opportunity 3.00 Waardah 3.35 Far Above Dream (nap) 4.10 Marengo Storm (nb) 4.45 Charted Course 5.20 Blue CourvoisierDoncaster 1.55 Brash 2.30 Eighth Immortal 3.05 Arenite 3.40 Magic Runner 4.15 First Time 4.50 Sparkling Pink 5.25 Von Trotter 6.00 Another InvestmentLingfield 5.05 Bintknight 5.40 Zafaan 6.15 Campeona 6.45 Rogue Exile 7.15 Knock Three Times 7.45 Musical Soldier 8.15 WetsandHamilton 5.50 California School 6.25 According To Mark 7.00 High Point 7.30 Manila Scouse 8.00 Hundred Caps 8.30 Starliner 9.00 PisanelloGoodwood 2.25 William Haggas’s Al Aasy is going for a hat-trick in this race but may struggle to cope with his stable companion, Opportunity. Haggas has shown typical patience with the four-year-old, who was a tricky, headstrong type at three but is much more professional after a gelding operation over the winter and came up with a new career-best to win the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot last time.Goodwood 3.00 Last year’s 1-2, Waardah and Danielle, are both back for another crack at this valuable Group Two and Owen Burrows’s filly should be spot on today after a promising run into second place in a Group Three at Carlisle in May.Goodwood 4.10 Marengo Storm had just two rivals to beat in a Newmarket handicap in June, but the timefigure suggests it could be stronger form than it looked, his prominent racing style is tailor-made for this track and trip and he has an ideal draw in stall one.