Two strong Newmarket selections on Friday from Steve Ryder, with Flora Of Bermuda looking to add another Group success and Archers Bay aiming to build on his career-best effort.
2:25 NewmarketSee All Odds
Flora Of Bermuda 7/4 (1pt)
In receipt of 3lbs from the colts and geldings, FLORA OF BERMUDA (best priced at 7/4) looks the one to beat in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes. The Andrew Balding trained five-year-old made a winning reappearance here in May over 6f before victory at York over 6f and at Goodwood over this 7f trip, both in Group 3 company.
Blindfold issues mean her 10th placed finish behind Notable Speech in the Group 1 City Of York Stakes can be excused and she bounced back to form last time when 2nd in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster behind More Thunder. She has no concerns about the course and distance and looks the one to beat with a rating of 111 and James Doyle back on board.
3:30 NewmarketSee All Odds
Archers Bay 4/1 (1pt ew)
Other than a disappointing run in the Italian Derby, ARCHERS BAY (best priced at 4/1) has been a model of consistency this season and a reproduction of his run over this course and distance last time will be good enough to win this. The Marco Botti trained colt could only finish 3rd beaten a length behind the reopposing Turty Tree at Ascot on his penultimate start but is 7lb better off at the weights with that rival, has superior course form and comes off the back of a career best performance when 2nd beaten a length by the unbeaten Fortitudine in a listed race over this course and distance last time.
The handicapper has raised Archers Bay 5lbs for that defeat but he instead runs here off the same mark of 100 and he looks the one to beat after a 14 day break.
