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Darley has thrown a good deal of money at the progeny of the stakes-winning Hennessy mare Living Spirit for very little return and the international powerhouse will be hoping for a change of fortune when the Peter Snowden-trained filly Seaside tackles Saturday's JC Flooring Handicap (1300m) at Warwick Farm.
At her career debut at Gosford on June 7 Seaside finished a luckless second to the Gerald Ryan trained Brilliant Snitzel who runs 35 minutes before Seaside at Warwick Farm.
A daughter of champion stallion Redoute's Choice (pictured), Seaside is
the fourth live foal of Living Spirit who was useful enough on the racetrack
winning 3 and placing in 4 of her 19 starts. Her career highlight came in the
Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes when ridden by Nash Rawiller for Tony
McEvoy.
The grey daughter of Hennessy descends from a family that has served Swettenham Stud well for many generations.
A half-sister to the Listed stakes-winner Only She Can (Marju), Living Spirit is out of the Dequetteville Stakes (LR) winner Livelihood (Rory's Jester) herself a three-quarter sister to Maribyrnong Plate (G2) winner Happy Giggle.
Granddam Sisterhood is a three-quarter-sister to Pure Of Heart, one of the best racehorses to carry the Robert Sangster colours in Australia
The daughter of Godswalk made a low-key debut in a Balaklava maiden towards the end of November 1988. Just over four months later she lined up in the Newmarket Handicap (G1) as the winner of three of her four starts including the Group 3 Autumn Stakes. She finished third to Razor Sharp and Penny Edition in the Flemington straight six, earning a trip to Sydney.
Pure Of Heart was beaten by Sheraco in the Rosemount Wines Classic (Coolmore Classic) before earning Group 1 success when defeating Razor Sharp and Opera Prince in the George Ryder Stakes. She later finished second to Magari in the Group 1 Marlboro Stakes. Though she failed to leave a stakes-winner with her eight named foals, Pure Of Heart earned further accolades as the dam of Lion Hunter (Danehill) a hugely successful stallion who died after six seasons at stud when at the height of his commercial appeal.
Swettenham consigned Living Spirit's first live foal, a colt by Exceed And Excel, to the 2007 Magic Millions yearling sale when he was purchased by Darley for $580,000. He died without getting to the track.
The following year Swettenham Stud held an unreserved dispersal sale and Darley signed for a yearling Exceed and Excel x Living Spirit filly ($450,000) and a More Than Ready x Living Spirit weanling filly for $400,000.
That year Darley also purchased Living Spirit for $1.5 million when carrying a colt foal by Nadeem.
The yearling filly, Making Ena, won one of her 6 starts but more importantly finished third in the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes (G1). She is now part of the Darley broodmare band. Her first foal, a colt by Medaglia D'Oro (USA), died after birth and Making Ena was covered by Street Cry (Ire) last year.
Darley' s weanling purchase Eurynome has not been seen since her fourth at Sale on debut in February 2010, while the Nadeem colt Living Spirit was carrying at the time of her sale was recently sold for $20,000 after failing to win in 15 starts.
In 2009 Living Spirit foaled Seaside who shapes as the hope of the team for some time.
Living Spirit missed to Exceed And Excel in 2009 and Street Cry (Ire) in 2010. She was bred back to Street Cry (Ire) last year.
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