'British racing is the best' - the voice of Australian racing is at Ascot and has a fascinating take on Asfoora's prospects

Is Asfoora here to win or principally to give her connections the chance to savour one of the sport's most spectacular experiences? According to Matt Hill, who will call the King Charles III Stakes for Australian radio, the answer likely lies somewhere between the two.

Not in doubt is that Royal Ascot matters more than ever before to an Australian audience, while the same is true to those watching in America, whose NBC output is once again being fronted by Nick Luck.

Hill and Luck delivered those positive messages for British racing while chatting by the paddock on the first morning of a meeting that could once again feature success for the southern hemisphere courtesy of Asfoora, Australia's only participant this week in a contest the nation has already plundered on five occasions.

"I reckon you get two types of Royal Ascot runners from Australia," said Hill, the voice of the Melbourne Cup and back in Britain to call the Group 1 sprint for RSN radio. 

"You get the type of horse who will win and those who are mainly here for the experience. I think Asfoora is probably sitting somewhere in the middle. She has a chance but I'm also sure her trainer, Henry Dwyer, is here for a bit of an experiment."

Asfoora, pictured in winning action at Caulfield in OctoberCredit: Vince Caligiuri (Getty Images)

There is nothing experimental about NBC's now eight-year association with the royal meeting.

"I could go to any meeting in the US and I will have people stop me to say how much they enjoy our coverage of Royal Ascot," said Luck. 

"They talk about Royal Ascot more than anything else. I don't know whether that's because it's so different, the fact that it's a special occasion or the quality of the racing, but there is something about the magic of this place that has captured the US audience.

"I think we've reached the stage where it's not vital for the American audience to see American runners, although Missed The Cut running on Saturday will be a big thing, particularly as people know John Sadler because of Flightline. It's also important that a West Coast trainer is having a runner here. That doesn't happen very often."

Nick Luck is anchoring NBC's Royal Ascot coverage for American viewersCredit: Laura Green

You also do not necessarily expect to hear an Australian bigging up British sport. Hill, however, is insistent that British soul-searching about the state of its racing product is, in part, unwarranted.

"I think we still know in Australia that British racing is the best - and we know that because a lot of your moderate horses come over to Australia and beat our horses," said Hill.

"We still have our moments, and I think we probably have just about the best sprinters in the world, but overall we are just a small island out in Oceania compared to you guys. We are not negative about British racing at all. We are the extreme opposite. I believe, and I'm pretty sure most Aussie racing people believe, that racing is done properly here and that your horses are the best."

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