Fleeting Spirit is a retired, Irish-bred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse who was trained in the United Kingdom during a racing career which lasted from 2007 to 2010. She was a specialist sprinter, running all of her races over five and six
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...
s. Fleeting Spirit was the highest-rated British-trained two-year-old filly of 2007 and went on to win the
Group Two Temple Stakes
The Temple Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled ...
at
Haydock
Haydock is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 11,416 Haydock's historic area covers the Haydock electoral ward and a section of the Blackbrook ward.
Haydo ...
in 2008 and the
Group One July Cup in 2009. In the last named year she was awarded the title of
European Champion Sprinter at the
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
.
Background
Fleeting Spirit, a "delightful little" bay mare with a small white
star, was bred at
Kilcullen
Kilcullen (), formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 3,473 at the 2011 census made it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare and the fastest growing in the county, hav ...
,
County Kildare, Ireland by Bernadette Hayden. The success of Fleeting Spirit led to Mrs Hayden being named as outstanding small breeder of 2007 by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Fleeting Spirit's
sire Invincible Spirit
Invincible Spirit (foaled 17 February 1997) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning two of his four races as a two-year-old, he only raced twice as a three-year-old, losing on both occasions. In 2001 he won twice ...
was a sprinter who won the Haydock Sprint Cup in 2002. He has gone on to be a "leading" sire, getting the winners of more than five hundred races including
Moonlight Cloud
Moonlight Cloud (foaled 5 March 2008) is a British– bred, French- trained Thoroughbred racehorse who has won the Prix Maurice de Gheest three times and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. In a famous race for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012, sh ...
,
Lawman (
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...
), Hooray (
Cheveley Park Stakes
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it ...
) and
Vale of York
The Vale of York is an area of flat land in the northeast of England. The vale is a major agricultural area and serves as the main north–south transport corridor for Northern England.
The Vale of York is often supposed to stretch from the R ...
(
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup W ...
).
Fleeting Spirit was sent as a yearling to the Goffs sales in September 2006 where she was bought for €35,000 by Con Marnane, a bloodstock agent who specialised in "pinhooking"– buying horses at auction and then selling them on at a profit. Seven months later, Marnane's investment paid off at the
Tattersalls
Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Founding
It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. T ...
"breeze-up" sale where the filly was sold for 90,000
gns to Anthony Stroud acting on behalf of "The Searchers", a five-member syndicate which included Andy Stewart and Paul Roy. She was trained throughout her career at
Newmarket, Suffolk by
Jeremy Noseda
Jeremy Noseda (born 17 September 1963) is a retired British racehorse trainer.
After six years working for John Dunlop, and five years as assistant to John Gosden, he joined Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation in late 1993, and played a s ...
.
Racing career
2007: two-year-old season
Fleeting Spirit made her racecourse debut in a
maiden race at
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...
in June. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, she led from the start and was never headed, winning by two
lengths. Fleeting Spirit was prevented from running at
Royal Ascot after contracting an infection and Jeremy Noseda decided to wait for
Glorious Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in late ...
where she was moved up to
Group Three class to run against colts in the
Molecomb Stakes. Fleeting Spirit tracked the leaders before moving up to dispute the lead with
Kingsgate Native .The two horses raced together in the final
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...
before Fleeting Spirit gained the advantage and prevailed by a neck.
The filly was moved up to six furlongs for her next start in the
Lowther Stakes
The Lowther Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each ...
at
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, but after leading at the two furlong mark she was caught in the closing stages and finished third behind Nahoodh and the subsequently disqualified Visit. Just over an hour after her defeat, the form of her Goodwood win was boosted when Kingsgate Native defeated a field of older sprinters to win the
Nunthorpe Stakes
The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is sched ...
.
In September, Fleeting Spirit returned to five furlongs and started
5/4 favourite for the
Flying Childers Stakes
The Flying Childers Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 5 furlongs and 3 yards (1,008 metres), and it is sched ...
at
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. Dettori sent the filly into the lead a furlong out and she beat Spirit of Sharjah by one and three quarter lengths. The result confirmed her status as "one of the fastest juveniles in training" Among the unplaced horses was the colt Dark Angel, who won the Group One
Middle Park Stakes
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...
on his next start. On her final start of the year Fleeting Spirit again attempted six furlongs in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes. She failed by a neck to catch the front-running, French-trained
Natagora, with the two fillies finishing four lengths clear of the rest of the field. Noseda was positive in defeat saying that it was "disappointing to get beat but she's run a huge race.
2008: three-year-old season
Instead of being aimed at the one mile
1000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...
, Fleeting Spirit was aimed at the top sprint races as a three-year-old. Noseda explained that "she is so fast and to try to get a mile is to destroy her natural asset". On her first start in May, she raced against colts and older horses in the Temple Stakes over five furlongs at Haydock Park. Ridden by
Ryan Moore she broke from the stalls in a "sluggish" fashion and was behind in the early stages. Moore moved the filly up to challenge a furlong out and she quickened clear, winning by two lengths from
Borderlescott who went on to win the next two runnings of the
Nunthorpe Stakes
The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is sched ...
. The winning time of 57.15 broke the track record by more than a second. Fleeting Spirit was then made 15/8 favourite for the Group One
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled ...
at
Royal Ascot in June. She again started slowly before producing a sustained late run to finish third, beaten half a length and a neck by
Equiano and
Takeover Target
Takeover Target (27 September 1999 – 20 June 2015) was a much-travelled Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won top sprinting races in each of the five major cities in Australia as well as in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Singapore.
...
. Noseda later explained that Fleeting Spirit was a "sick" horse after the race, and that she never fully recovered in 2008.
Fleeting Spirit was off the course for almost four months before running in a bizarre renewal of the
Prix de l'Abbaye
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs) ...
at
Longchamp. At the start of the race, Fleeting Spirit's stall failed to open, leaving the filly banging her head against the gate as the other runners set off. A false start was called, but several runners, headed by the Hungarian Champion
Overdose
A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. ignored the recall and completed the race. The "result" was set aside and the race was re-run later in the afternoon although the connections of three of the runners who had completed the course declined to take part. Racing on soft ground for the first time, Fleeting Spirit looked outpaced at one stage, but finished strongly to be fifth of the seventeen runners, beaten just over three lengths by
Marchand d'Or. On her final start of the year she finished fourth, beaten just over two lengths in the inaugural
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...
.
2009: four-year-old season
Fleeting Spirit made a belated start to her championship season, first appearing in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Not for the first time she made a slow start and was towards the back of the field for the first half of the race. She finished strongly however, to finish second of fifteen starters, beaten three quarters of a length by the Australian-trained
Scenic Blast
{{Infobox racehorse
, horsename = Scenic Blast
, image =
, caption =
, sire = Scenic
, grandsire = Sadler's Wells
, dam = Daughters Charm
, damsire = Delgado
, sex = Gelding
, foaled = 2004
, country = Australia
, colour = Bay / br ...
. The July Cup at Newmarket attracted a strong international field, including Takeover Target and Scenic Blast from Australia,
J J the Jet Plane from South Africa and African Rose (
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), an ...
) from France. Apart from Fleeting Spirit, the British runners included Equiano,
Paco Boy, King's Apostle (
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres (about 6½ furlongs), and it is sch ...
) and Art Connoisseur (
Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Platinum Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. Three-year-olds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere are also eligible. It is run at ...
). Ridden by
Tom Queally
Thomas P. Queally (born 8 October 1984 in Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland) is a Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He is best known as the regular jockey of Frankel. He was first jockey to leading trainer Sir Henry Cecil. Queally is best ...
, Fleeting Spirit tracked the leaders before moving up to take the lead a furlong out. Although she veered first left and then right in the closing stages she ran on strongly to win by a length and a quarter from Main Aim in a time of 1:09.58. There was a stewards' inquiry into possible interference caused by Fleeting Spirit but the result was allowed to stand. Noseda paid tribute to the filly saying that,"she is back to her very best and that's the best she has ever run in her life. She is a very tough and talented filly."
Racing on soft ground in the Haydock Sprint Cup in September, Fleeting Spirit started the 100/30 favourite and took the lead a furlong out but was caught in the closing stages and beaten half a length by
Regal Parade. A month later in the Prix de l'Abbaye she made her customary slow start and before finishing strongly, failing by a neck to catch Total Gallery. On her final start of the year she was sent back to Santa Anita, this time to contest the
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually s ...
on the artificial
Pro-Ride surface. She was unable to reach the lead but, in finishing seventh, she was beaten less than two and a half lengths by
Dancing in Silks
Dancing in Silks (foaled March 2, 2005 in California) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2009 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park.
A 4-year-old gelding, Dancing in Silks was bred by Ronald E. Jex. The horse ra ...
. Noseda felt that she had failed to settle in her unfamiliar surroundings and announced that she would stay in training for 2010.
2010: five-year-old season
Fleeting Spirit did stay in training at five, but ran only twice and failed to recapture her best form as she struggled to overcome ankle injuries. She finished fourth to the Australian-bred
Starspangledbanner in the Golden Jubilee Stakes in June and fifth behind the same horse in the July Cup.
Her retirement was announced in September by Jeremy Noseda who said that "the wear and tear from so many big runs has taken its toll and she owes us absolutely nothing, so it seems the right thing to do to retire her."
Assessment
In the 2007 International Classification for two-year-olds Fleeting Spirit was rated the best British-trained filly and the third best filly in Europe behind
Zarkava and Natagora.
In the 2009
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...
Fleeting Spirit's rating of 118 was the highest for any European-trained sprinter. She had been rated 115 in the previous year.
in the 2009
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
she was named
European Champion Sprinter.
Breeding record
In her first season at stud, Fleeting Spirit was sent to be covered by the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
winner
Galileo. In April 2011 it was announced that a scan had confirmed she had conceived successfully and was "in foal". In February 2011, Fleeting Spirit produced her first foal, a filly by Galileo.
Pedigree
References
{{reflist, colwidth=30em
Cartier Award winners
2005 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 2-e