Death of Lady Bamford's Stage Presence, dam of Classic heroine Star Of Seville

Stage Presence, Lady Bamford's top-class producer and dam of Prix de Diane heroine Star Of Seville and the stakes-winning St James's Palace runner-up King Of Comedy, has died at the age of 23.

The daughter of Selkirk, who was out of the Listed-placed Tirol mare Park Charger and from the family of Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes winner Rum Charger and Coventry runner-up Pakhoes, won two of her 11 starts for Barry Hills, having been a €40,000 purchase from Goffs Orby as a yearling.

Stage Presence, a 49,000gns purchase by Horse France from Swettenham Stud at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2004, produced six winners from seven runners at stud, most notably the Duke Of Marmalade-sired Star Of Seville.

Having been snapped up by Hugo Lascelles for 475,000gns at the Mare Sale in 2007, her broodmare value grew in tandem with Star Of Seville's rise to top-level success.

The Lady Bamford-bred Star Of Seville, trained by John Gosden, was a six-length maiden winner on her second start at two, before winning at Newbury and then landing the Musidora Stakes at three.

She finished down the field in the Oaks at Epsom but the filly then added Classic honours to her name with a length success over Physiocrate in the Diane under Frankie Dettori.

Daylesford Stud's manager Charlie Brewer said: "She was a fabulous mare and a real character. She'll be greatly missed on the stud, everyone loved her."

King Of Comedy: Listed winner and St James's Palace runner-upCredit: Edward Whitaker

Stage Presence also produced two other black-type winners in Sweet Solera Stakes victress and Fillies' Mile third English Ballet and King Of Comedy, a Listed-winning son of Kingman who was also second in the 2019 St James's Palace Stakes.

English Ballet, a daughter of the great Danehill Dancer, was bred by Swettenham Stud and was a €70,000 purchase by BBA Ireland from Glenvale Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale in 2005.

The 17-year-old, who was also second in the May Hill Stakes for Hills and owners David Reid Scott and the Sangster family, has enjoyed success as a broodmare.

Her winning daughter Aunt Bee, by Australia, was Listed-placed last year for Jessica Harrington, while the Shadwell-owned Ejaazah - a daughter of Acclamation - won on her second start and was subsequently stakes-placed for Richard Hannon.

Among Stage Presence's other notable progeny were the winning Spectrum mare Spectacular Show, the dam of Listed scorer Valbchek and the multiple stakes-placed Schroders Mistake, and the useful Oasis Dream geldings Star Of Bengal and Sacred Act.

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