Goodwood Double for Flora Of Bermuda and Wild Blossom

Flora Of Bermuda and Wild Blossom were Wathnan Racing’s golden girls on the second day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, posting a much celebrated double in the G3 Rolls Royce Oak Tree Stakes and British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes respectively. 

Continuing a sensational spell for her trainer Andrew Balding and carrying a 3lb penalty, Flora Of Bermuda took to the step up to seven furlongs with aplomb, staying on well under James Doyle to deny Sayidah Dariyan by a neck.

Flora Of Bermuda had herself won the ‘Alice Keppel’ at this meeting three years earlier and, in a glorious season to date, she has now won three of her four starts, prompting some Group 1 entries for the year ahead.

“We have been thinking about seven furlongs for a bit,” Balding said. “It just seemed an obvious race to try it in. She has been very consistent at a high level throughout her career. She is a fantastic filly. She has done very well physically this year and is happier now she is going into the stalls late.

“That is her flaw, if she has one; she is just not very patient. She will go straight into the stalls, but she will not stand there for more than 30 seconds.”

Doyle added, “I think she is versatile. There are some races at six and a half furlongs, and she goes on a bit of give as well. Arguably, she is even better on slightly slower ground, so she has a whole host of options. I am sure the team will work out what is best for her, but I am just glad we got that right today; it was quite important.”

Hopes will be high for Wild Blossom to enjoy the same level of progression shown by Flora Of Bermuda over the years and the early signs are most encouraging.  The daughter of Mehmas quickened well to land this informative five-furlong contest by a length and a half to gain the second victory of her career from three starts.

The juvenile is trained by Karl Burke, who said, “Wild Blossom worked with a very good older filly recently and worked very nicely. There is a slight concern when they do it so well first time on slow ground. Then she ran very well at Ascot, but the draw completely screwed her. Her work has been very good since, although there was a slight doubt in my mind about the ground today. However, she went a very quick time there.

“She is a talented filly. We will look at all those Group five-furlong races, as she is obviously a very quick filly. I wouldn’t dismiss six furlongs; we will see what James says, but that was the plan today.”