Flora Of Bermuda set to blossom for the final time

Flora Of Bermuda will attempt to sign off her on-track career in style in Newmarket’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes on Friday.

Andrew Balding’s ultra-consistent performer scored on the Rowley Mile on Guineas weekend before going on to add York’s Summer Stakes and the Oak Tree Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood in what has been a profitable final season in training.

She came closest to downing William Haggas’ More Thunder in Doncaster’s Park Stakes last month and connections are hopeful of one final big performance.

“I’m sure this will be her last run. She has been a star, not only for us this year, but full stop,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing who will also be represented by Hamad Al Jehani’s Goldene Peitsche winner Holguin.

“She’s been placed in multiple Group Ones and obviously has won us a Listed race and two Group Threes this year, including at Glorious Goodwood which is so important for Wathnan. She isn’t a Group Two winner yet though, so it would be great if she could do that.

“She’s a course winner and we know she handles the Rowley Mile and hopefully she can run one last big race.”

While Flora Of Bermuda had to settle for second on Town Moor one who did find the scoresheet was James Fanshawe’s Sceptre Stakes winner Pina Sonata.

The four-year-old relished a drop back to seven furlongs when seeing off Touleen in South Yorkshire and her handler is hoping for a similar performance.

Fanshawe said: “She seemed to be really suited by the pace of the race dropping back to seven furlongs and we’ve had a bit of rain so hopefully she will be in the same form as she was at Doncaster.

“Things went astray after she won her novice at Leicester last year, but she won at Kempton really nicely at the beginning of the season in the Snowdrop and then got stuck in the mud at Epsom on Derby day.

“She just really enjoyed going seven furlongs in the Sceptre at Doncaster and she seems really well in herself.”

Doncaster form could also come to the fore in the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes, where Geoff Oldroyd’s luckless Flying Childers Stakes fifth has the chance to prove her handler’s lofty assessment right.

Oldroyd said: “We thought we were unlucky at Doncaster, but that’s horse racing. We’re going there with plenty of confidence and she’s well and hopefully she will become a Group Three winner.

“I’ve always thought she’s the best horse I’ve ever trained. She needed a wind op after her first run for us which knocked us back a bit and she needed her run in the Lowther badly.

“We went to Doncaster thinking we’d win and it didn’t come off, but we’re going to Newmarket with bags of confidence. She’s in good form and has done everything right since Doncaster.”

Further Group Three juvenile action comes in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes where Kevin Philippart De Foy’s consistent Nuit d’Eclair could put her experience at this level to good use after some fine performances in defeat.

Since winning on debut the daughter of Night Of Thunder has been thereabouts in the Princess Margaret Stakes (fourth), Sweet Solera Stakes (second) and the Dick Poole (third) and now returns to seven furlongs for a race owners Amo Racing came close to winning with Cathedral two years ago.

Philippart De Foy said: “I think the seven furlongs will suit her well and being a May foal we have given the filly a bit of time. She’s had a couple of quick runs and arrives there in good shape and I think she will handle Newmarket fine.

“She ran well on the July course and I think the good ground won’t be an issue. She’s going there in good form.”

Rossa Ryan takes the mount on Clive Cox’s Miss Kodi who was not beaten far on her penultimate run in the Lowther.

“Her York run was very good on ground that was too slow for her. She’s a good strong filly that is all there and if the ground is good I’d expect her to run well,” said Ryan.