FRESH off the back of Brungle Bertie's stunning win in the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday, Miners Rest trainer Henry Dwyer will saddle up his stable star Asfoora this weekend in her return to the track.
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Just one trial, an impressive three-length win over 1200m at Stawell is all the five-year-old sprinting mare has needed after a 19-week spell
Asfoora last took to the track with a fourth placing in the $4m The Quokka in Perth on April 15. That result summed up an almost autumn, where she ran third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate and fourth in the Group 1 Galaxy.
But it's spring where Asfoora has done her best work to date, highlighted by a Group 2 success last season in the the Caulfield Sprint.
This weekend, Asfoora will be saddled up in the Group 3 Heath Stakes at Caulfield with the next step the Group 1 AJ Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on AFL Grand FInal eve.
Dwyer said his mare was in good order heading towards the track.
"We had a trial a couple of weeks ago and she ran a good time, she had a heavy track there which she likes, but we were happy with how she went," he said.
"We're not going to get that heavy track this week, but that's alright, we'll be guided by how she goes."
Dwyer said the goal would be to try and win a Group 1 this season starting with the Moir later in September.
"She's had the one run so far at Moonee Valley, but she never got room and she nearly fell, it's one we put a line through," he said.
"We've got no long or short-term plans for her. She'll head to the Moir and then we'll see what happens from the there. She could go back to the Caulfield Sprint (which she won last year), but she'd get a big weight there, or perhaps we could head towards the Schillaci which is weight-for-age, which might site her better.
"After that, we'll just see what happens."
Dwyer said Brungle Bertie's success at the Grand National was a culmination of years of hard work.
"It was very fulfilling, with the jumpers, you have them around so much longer than other horses and you really feel happy for the horse and the owners.
"He's an eight-year-old now and the owner bred him, so nine years ago, that's long play.
"He'll go out to the owner's property for the next three or four months then we'll bring him back. The goal might be to try and head to the Grand Annual in Warrnambool next year."
Dwyer's other spring charge is miler Electric Impulse which won at Sandown last start. The four-year-old mare will be aimed at the Country Cup final on Oaks Day, but needs to qualify with another win first.
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