At Haydock on Saturday, the Australian filly Asfoora will try to start a British sprinting season in the Betfred Temple Stakes.
The five-year-old, who received his training in Victoria, arrived at Newmarket almost a month ago and has been boarded at Amy Murphy's stable.
Asfoora has won eight of her 18 career starts and is a multiple Group winner on her home ground. She specialises in five- and five-and-a-half-furlong runs.
Her trainer is drawing inspiration from the racing career of Australia's Choisir, who won the 2003 Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot in addition to the King's Stand, as she attempts to establish herself on the local speed scene.
Dwyer observed from Melbourne as the formidable Black Caviar, another notable entrant to the British shores, won the renamed Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
“It’s had a big influence, particularly Choisir doing the Tuesday-Saturday double,” he said.
“With Black Caviar I was at Federation Square in Melbourne on the big screen, there were famous scenes of 20,000 or 30,000 people cheering her on in the middle of the night and I was one of them.”
While Asfoora's profile is not as similar to either horse's, Dwyer believes that the choice to forgo the trip will still be justified because the sprint division doesn't seem to have the elite athletes who have prevailed in recent years.
“When we decided we were going to come over there was a little bit of surprise that this mare, who is possibly the ninth or 10th best sprinter in Australia, was going to chance her arm,” he said on a Jockey Club-hosted Zoom call. “In reality, she’s probably in the top three five-furlong sprinters in Australia, these races are much more suitable for her and it seems a very even year for sprinters over here – I think she can measure up.”
Beginning with the Temple Stakes, Dwyer intends to target all of the major races over the summer, with Royal Ascot being the next stop before the Nunthorpe, the King George at Goodwood, and possibly even a trip to France or Ireland.