Aussie Winners At Royal Ascot
A Complete Guide to Aussie Winners at Royal Ascot
The following horses have either been bred/based in Australia or trained/owned by Aussies and so have all been included in our list to celebrate the wonderful achievements we have had at Royal Ascot.
Aussie Winners at Royal Ascot – It all started at the turn of the millennium when a certain Choisir showed the world that Australia has some brilliant sprinters.
Asfoora in 2024
Victorian mare Asfoora trained by Henry Dwyer won the 2024 King Charles III Stakes beating the best of the world’s horse over the 1000 metre sprint.
This race, which was known as the King’s Stand Stakes, is one of the top sprint races in the world. Asfoora is now the sixth Australian horse to win it. Her victory was bloody impressive given she had only recently arrived in the UK shortly beforehand, and she has only finished fourth in her only lead-up race in the Temple Stakes.
The speculation was enormous prior to the race as to whether it was the right options in bringing her to Royal Ascot but jeez it paid off handsomely.
Nature Strip in 2022
After dominating down under the question was whether Chris Waller could get his enigmatic runner to travel to the UK and show the world how good he was.
The answer was an emphatic Yes. In 2022 Nature Strip obliterated his rivals in the Kings Stand Stakes with a high cruising speed and incredible resilience on the track’s rising straight course. Safe to say anyone who saw the race witnessed one of the best Aussie winners and one of the greatest sprinters Australia has ever produced.
Merchant Navy in 2018
This three-year-old had moved across into the hands of master trainer Aidan O’Brien but we’ll still claim his victory as one of our own!
In 2018 Merchant Navy claimed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over 1200 metres. Safe to say the owners, Coolmore were delighted with the effort and have continued to be heavily involved in sprinters in Australia.
Black Caviar in 2012
Were you awake, if not have you watched back the agony which we all went through when our unbeatable darling of racing Black Caviar headed over to Royal Ascot with expectations, she would prove herself to the world… Ok so yes, she won the 2012 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes but only just.
Trainer Peter Moody and jockey Luke Nolan both said subsequently she wasn’t 100% fit for the race which is whey Nolan eased up shortly before the line before stoking her up again to hold on by a nostril. But hey, a win is a win, and she remained unbeaten throughout her career.
So You Think in 2012
This was a once in a lifetime horse and it was a shock to all Aussie racing fans and trainer Bart Cummings when Coolmore bought him.
Safe to say his defeat in the 2011 Prince of Wales’s Stakes was not received well down under! But Aidan O’Brien finally got his magic working and learnt how to get the best out of the horse as he won the Prince of Wales’s in 2012. All in all, he landed six wins from ten runs in Europe five of which were at Group 1 level!
Starspangledbanner in 2010
Starspangledbanner made it five wins in as many years for Australian runners and highlighted the dominance of our sprinters. This was a gutsy win in the Golden Jubilee Stakes.
Originally trained in Australia and later transferred to Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, the powerful chestnut adapted quickly to northern hemisphere conditions. He showed real fight to edge out a strong field, adding to the legacy of his sire, Choisir, who as we all know won at Royal Ascot seven years earlier.
Starspangledbanner also went on to win the July Cup, becoming one of the few horses to land both races in the same year. His success confirmed his place as a true international sprint star.
Scenic Blast in 2009
Scenic Blast was a standout Australian sprinter who made headlines at Royal Ascot in 2009 with a dominant win in the King’s Stand Stakes.
Trained by Dan Morton, the West Aussie star showed his class by powering past the field in impressive fashion, confirming his status as one of the best sprinters in the world at the time.
He had already claimed major wins back home and proved he could handle the international stage with ease. Scenic Blast’s victory added to what was a golden era of Aussie success at Royal Ascot and secured his place among Australia’s elite racehorses.
Haradasun in 2008
Haradasun made his mark at Royal Ascot in 2008 with a brilliant win in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Originally trained in Australia and later campaigned by Coolmore, he followed in the footsteps of his half-brother Elvstroem by claiming a major overseas victory. Starting his career in Swan Hill, Haradasun showed star potential early and went on to become a multiple Group 1 winner.
His Ascot win was a highlight of his international stint, where he proved he could match it with the best milers in Europe. He retired later that year and remains one of Australia’s top international performers.
Miss Andretti 2007
Miss Andretti was a superstar Aussie sprinter who lit up Royal Ascot in 2007. Trained by Lee Freedman, she flew home to win the King’s Stand Stakes, beating fellow Aussie horses, Takeover Target and Magnus.
She smashed the track record in the process. Her performance was electric and cemented Australia’s growing reputation for producing world-class sprinters. Although she didn’t fire in her second run at the meeting, finishing well back in the Golden Jubilee, her win earlier in the week was unforgettable.
She retired with 19 wins from 31 starts and left a legacy as one of Australia’s greats.
Takeover Target in 2006
Takeover Target is deadest the greatest underdog (horse) story. Bought for just 1200 bucks by former cabbie Joe Janiak, the gelding became a global sprinting sensation.
In 2006, he won the King’s Stand Stakes before placing third in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at the same meeting. He returned in 2007 and 2008 and never finishing worse than fourth across many runs. In total, he had six starts at Royal Ascot for one win, two seconds, a third and two fourths.
With Group 1 wins in four countries and over $6 million in prizemoney, he became a true Aussie racing legend.
Choisir in 2003
Choisir, what can we say… he made history in 2003 as the first Australian horse to win at Royal Ascot, taking out the King’s Stand Stakes over 1000 metres before stunning the racing world by backing up just four days later to claim the Golden Jubilee Stakes over 1200 meters.
Trained by Paul Perry, the chestnut shocked the Poms with his speed and toughness, setting the standard for Aussie sprinters on the world racing stage. He then ran second in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket, capping off a sensational UK campaign.
Choisir’s success paved the way for future Australian horses and showed that sprinters from down under could compete globally.
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