It only took a few short months for everyone at Bansha House Stables to realise that the Invincible Spirit filly that would eventually be named Fleeting Spirit was fast. Very fast. Her highly-professional and impressive breeze at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale at Tattersalls understandably attracted plenty of attention and it was Anthony Shroud whose bid of 90,000gns secured the promising filly that would be sent to Jeremy Noseda.

Just over six weeks later, she lined up for a 5f maiden at Nottingham and word of her searing pace had already spread through Nottinghamshire like wildfire. She did not disappoint her supporters and she earned many plaudits for the manner in which she dismissed her seven rivals, making all and hardly coming off the bridle to prevail by two lengths. She missed an intended engagement at Royal Ascot due to a minor infection, but the performance she delivered when next seen in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes over 5f was certainly worth the wait. With numerous lines of Royal Ascot form on show, the inexperienced Fleeting Spirit looked to have it all to do, but she again showed blistering speed hard up against the seemingly disadvantaged stands rail to out-battle the subsequent Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner, Kingsgate Native, by a game neck. The performance resulted in her being given a Timeform rating of 113p, stamping her as one of the best female prospects in Europe.

Just over three weeks later she stepped up to 6f for what was a high-class renewal of the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York. However, it was a messy race with the early pace not being overly strong and Fleeting Spirit raced too freely with her rider not wanting to let her stride on as she was unproven at the trip. She eventually finished 1¼l third to Nahoodh, but due the subsequent disqualification of the second placed Visit meant that the record will show that she finished second.

Three weeks later, she returned to 5f to contest the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and the result was never really in doubt as she travelled cosily on the heels of the leaders before quickening to the lead over 1f out and forging clear close home to prevail by 1¾l from Spirit Of Sharjah. She didn’t need to produce her best on that occasion, but she would need to be at her very best for her next start in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes back over 6f and she duly delivered the best effort of her young career on the day that mattered most. Given a more positive ride than she had been on her only previous start over 6f in the Lowther Stakes, she raced prominently throughout and gamely went in pursuit of the flying French filly Natagora in the final 1f, coming up just ¼l short of of the subsequent 1000 Guineas winner with a yawning four lengths gap back to the third.

That tremendous run confirmed that she stayed 6f well and it earned her a Timeform rating of 115, making her the sixth highest-rated juvenile filly in Europe, just 2 lb behind the top-rated Listen.

So often, sprinters tend to struggle against their elders as three-year-olds, but in 2008 Fleeting Spirit proved that she was equal to the task. A blistering winning display in the Group 2 Temple Stakes over 5f at Haydock set the tone for the year, with her dominating a field of more experienced Group 1 performers. All roads led to the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot for her and despite seemingly running an excellent race to finish third beaten under a length by Equiano, it was later revealed that she came home a sick filly from that race, making her performance all the more remarkable. She took time to get over that illness and in truth, it finished her season before it had really got going. She eventually made it back to the track to run two fine races in defeat in the Prix De L’Abbaye at Longchamp and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, but Noseda’s mind was already looking ahead to 2009 with her.

This time around Noseda elected to send Fleeting Spirit straight to the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and it will only the presence of a freakishly-fast Australian sprinter that spoiled the party, with her just being pipped by Scenic Blast with no less than 2¾ lengths back to the remainder. Just under a month later, she returned to 6f for the first time in Europe since her juvenile season to contest the prestigious Darley July Cup and despite her Ascot foe Scenic Blast being sent off the 11/8 favourite, the bookmakers somehow managed to price up Fleeting Spirit at 12/1. They would be made pay for that blunder. Fleeting Spirit tanked through the race, being sent to the front over 1f out and despite running around a bit in front, she still had 1¼ lengths to spare at the finish. It was a richly-deserved first Group 1 success for such a talented filly on which Lady Luck had not always shone.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck deserted Fleeting Spirit on her final three starts of the year, with an interrupted preparation and soft ground proving costly when just being pipped by Regal Parade in the Haydock Sprint Cup, before a slow start cost her dearly on her way to finishing a neck second to Total Gallery in the Prix De L’Abbaye, and finally a poor draw proving her undoing in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Fleeting Spirit finished 2009 with a Timeform rating of 124, making her the joint-second top-rated sprinter in Britain and granted a bit more luck, she would almost certainly have finished the season on top of that particular ranking.

Kevin Blake