Spirit stands to deliver

Jeremy Noseda has issued an upbeat bulletin on Temple Stakes winner Fleeting Spirit, with all roads now leading to the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Precocious as a juvenile, she chased home subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Natagora in the Cheveley Park last season.

Fleeting Spirit was expected to find life tougher as a three-year-old sprinter against older horses but showed blistering pace in Merseyside.

“She has come out of the race in great order and I’m more than happy with her,” said Noseda.

“It was always the intention for the Temple to be her prep and she did the job well.

“But her main target lies ahead in the shape of the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot.

“I have no doubt that it is going to be a much tougher assignment than she had at Haydock but her performance there, at the very least, augurs well for her prospects at the Royal meeting.

“She is a very simple filly to work with in that she is very professional. I feel that her race at Haydock has put her spot on and it is just a case of us ticking her over until Tuesday, June 17.

“From our perspective, we just have fingers crossed that she stays healthy and sound so that she can participate on the big day,” he told www.jeremynoseda.com.

Fleeting Spirit is as low as 5-2 favourite with Stan James for the King’s Stand, which is now a Group One.