The mare, who was 90 seconds from missing Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye on Sunday after her trainer forgot her passport, will not return home this winter
Aussie sprint queen Asfoora, who won Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye thanks to a speedy Uber driver, will stay in Britain for her 2026 campaign. The seven-year-old mare was 90 seconds from missing the Group 1 prize at Paris-Longchamp after her trainer Henry Dwyer forgot her passport.
A mix-up saw the Royal Ascot and Nunthorpe Stakes winner arrive at the course with another horse’s ID papers, while her passport was in Chantilly. An Uber was swiftly ordered to carry the correct documentation to the racecourse and allow Oisín Murphy’s mount to take part.
READ MORE: ‘Britain’s unluckiest punter’ relives bizarre moment which cost him £330,000 in winningsREAD MORE: Uber driver’s mad dash saves the day for wonder horse Asfoora
The taxi arrived moments before the deadline and Asfoora took full advantage to become the first Australian mare ever to win in France.
“I had the driver on a retainer of £200 to get it here in time! I’ve never managed that journey in less than an hour, and he took 52 minutes!” Dwyer revealed in the winners’ enclosure.
Dwyer and Asfoora’s owner Akram El-Fahkri were considering a number of options for Asfoora, who travelled back to Newmarket on Monday.
Dwyer told Mirror Racing: “She will stay in Newmarket. It’s too much of an effort to take her home and bring her back and try to acclimatise and reacclimatise so it will be easier for her to stay up here.
“There’s not a lot of options for her in Australia and there are a lot of options for her here so it suits us better.”
Asfoora has spent her last two summers boarding at the yard of Amy Murphy and Lemos De Souza but will have a break next.
“She will go to Luca Cumani’s Fittocks Stud and have six to eight weeks in the field there and then she will come back into work with Lemos later on.
“Next year’s programme would be similar. It’s a well worn path. The five furlong races are the ones that suit her. We might be able to kick off a little earlier next year so races like the Palace House would come into the equation.
He added: “We had her in the Tattersalls December Sale and we were going to put her through the ring but the owner has now had a change of heart and he would now like to retain her and breed from her eventually so she will race on for the time being.”