YORK, United Kingdom (AFP) — Australian star sprinter Asfoora bounced back to form with a scintillating victory in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes, the feature race on the penultimate day of the Ebor meeting on Friday.

The seven-year-old added this to her win at Royal Ascot last year in the King Charles III Stakes, but was only an 11/1 chance here after failing to sparkle at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.

However, she was a different beast in the Nunthorpe, Oisin Murphy surging clear on her from 100/1 outsider
Ain’t Nobody to make up for finishing fourth in last year’s race when she was favourite.

“It is very difficult to bring them over from Australia but they had her in prime form,” said Murphy.

“She was electric.”

Trainer Henry Dwyer poured most of the praise onto Asfoora’s stable girl Chenelle Ellis, who was moved to tears.

“She has been here with Asfoora since she came over before Ascot [in June]. She has looked after her and ridden her out, whereas we come over from Australia for the race,” he said.

Dwyer admitted he had not been full of confidence after her previous two performances.

“I had to keep a bit of faith [as] obviously, things did not go to plan first two runs and you still got to doubt yourself if they are not winning.”

Earlier, Trawlerman justified his status of 5/6 odds-on favourite, adding the Group Two Lonsdale Cup to his win in the Ascot Gold Cup in June.

William Buick had to really work hard on Trawlerman, trained by father and son John and Thady Gosden, to keep him in front as Rab Havlin challenged him on his stablemate Sweet William.

However, Trawlerman showed he is tough as teak as he held on.

“He is so reliable. Super horse, stays really well, adaptable too as to what he has to do, as he showed there,” said Buick, winning the race for a third time.

– ‘Entertainment industry’ –

Gosden senior strode into the winners’ enclosure with a beaming smile, a race he had got used to winning when his legendary stayer Stradivarius won it three times.

“Two fabulous old stayers; they have been around the block a few times,” said Gosden.

“ Sweet William will go for the Doncaster Cup in September and Trawlerman to Champions Day in October.

“Stayers are very important for the integrity of the racing programme; we do not want to just end up with a bunch of sprinters.

“They make it a lot of fun, which is what we are meant to be — an entertainment industry.”

It may have been a lower standard than the usual Gimcrack Stakes — several of the top two-year-olds’ race in France on Sunday — but it mattered not a jot to jockey Zak Wheatley.

The young English rider eased to victory on Lifeline, trained by Declan Carroll, for his first Group race win.

“This is [a] brilliant, massive really, opportunity from owners — to put me on him is wonderful,” said Wheatley.

Trawlerman at seven is no young buck, and the opening race also went to an old stager, this time of the two-legged variety.

John Egan at the ripe old age of 57 won the valuable race on Asgard’s Captain.

It was the Irishman’s first winner at the meeting since 2017, with his greatest moment at it being the Ebor Handicap way back in 2006 on a 100/1 outsider.

“It is brilliant to see my son [David, who finished fifth in the same race] and daughter [Alexandra] doing well but this is a reminder that the old man is still here,” said Egan whose biggest success came in the 2003 Irish 2000 Guineas — on his 35th birthday to boot.

“This means a lot as, for sure, I like to show I can still do it!

“Dylan [Cunha, the trainer] said, ‘Come on, this might be your last chance’ and I said, ‘I’ll be back next year!’ “