Boughey backing Believing to make Royal Ascot mark
After several near-misses at the highest level, the five-year-old finally claimed the Group One win she had long promised in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in late March and having since kept his powder dry for the Royal meeting, Boughey is anticipating another big effort.
'We've been very happy with her since Meydan and it's very hard not to be positive on her – she's had a faultless preparation,' said the Newmarket handler.
'It's quite strange to have a filly of that quality run so consistently to form. I always think you can't count your chickens, but she's fit and ready to go and we'd be very happy with her.'
Seeing is 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 👀
George Boughey's speedball cuts loose in the @AziziGroup Al Quoz Sprint in the ultra-capable hands of William Buick 🔥🔥🔥#DWC25 | @emirates pic.twitter.com/LkM2DuPHJ9
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) April 5, 2025
Believing ran twice at Royal Ascot in 2024, finishing a close fourth behind the reopposing Asfoora in the King Charles before occupying the same position in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Jubilee Stakes four days later.
The five-year-old, who is in foal to Frankel, has again been left in Saturday's six-furlong Group One, but is deemed 'unlikely' to line up this time around.
Boughey added: 'It (King Charles III Stakes) looks a similar renewal to last year, so hopefully she can give a good account of herself.
'I think because it's such an open race it's attracted a bigger field. We're drawn in one and possibly a little bit away from some of the others, but I spoke to Ryan (Moore) yesterday and we said it makes our decision pretty clear – we know which way we're going and that's in a straight line towards home.
'A stiff five is probably what she wants now, I think a stiff six is possibly too far. That's why the six in Meydan was so tailor-made for her and anything now is a bonus.'
Regional (left) winning the 2023 Sprint Cup at Haydock (Tim Goode/PA)
The Ed Bethell-trained Regional was second to Asfoora 12 months ago and was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Believing when they last clashed in Dubai.
Bethell said: 'Everything has gone smoothly, so we'll keep everything crossed. There's some familiar names in there and we all know each other's positives and negatives. We're all there and fingers crossed it's a good spectacle.
'I've been really pleased with our horse, he's come to himself really well and is training really good.
'We're looking forward to it but it's going to be a tough task and hopefully we're drawn in the right place (stall 17), as I think the draw will be the key thing in this race. Who knows how it will work out? Hopefully we're in the right place but we might not be and that's just horseracing, I guess.'
Karl Burke's talented Night Raider has his first attempt at five furlongs, having been snapped up by the Wathnan Racing operation following what was a promising third at York last month.
'He's very fast and set some blistering fractions in the Duke of York into a strong headwind that day,' said Richard Brown, Wathnan's racing adviser.
'He's won over seven furlongs and was a Guineas horse last year, but I just can't wait to see him over five furlongs as he's blisteringly fast. James (Doyle) rode him up at Karl Burke's the other day and was seriously impressed by how quick he was and I'm really looking forward to seeing him.
'When those sprinters are absolutely flying at Ascot, it's one of the great sights in racing and I think he's going to be one winging along.'
Asfoora is fitted with first-time blinkers for the defence of her title, having finished seventh on her most recent appearance in her native Australia.
Asfoora and Oisin Murphy after winning the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last year (David Davies/PA)
Trainer Henry Dwyer said: 'We went right through the summer to York last year and I thought when she got to York (fourth in Nunthorpe) she was a bit flat. She had a really big preparation and I went there really confident she would win and the five furlongs on a flat track would suit her.
'Watching the race back, I just felt she was flat and showing the effects of a long preparation and travelling so we sent her home. She took an age to re-acclimatise and we backed right off her and took stock before giving her two runs in Adelaide.
'She won the first which showed she still wanted to be there, which we were a little apprehensive about, and then we went to the Sangster Stakes which was six furlongs not five but it was just a matter of having a run before coming here.
'There doesn't seem to be many different (runners) to last year and the likes of Big Evs and Bradsell are both at stud now so it's kind of just the old guard of us, Believing and Regional.
'I think she's going as well as she was last year and I think that's all we need to do based on the opposition – get her there in good order and hopefully the form is there.'
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