A GREAT racemare and an even better broodmare.

That could well be the most fitting epitaph for Cassandra Go who died last week at Ballyhimikin Stud, her home since she retired to the breeding shed after a racing career that saw her develop into one of the best sprinters of her generation.

Bred at Cleaboy Stud in Co Westmeath by John McKay, the daughter of Indian Ridge (Ahonoora) was sold for 82,000gns to Joss Collins of the BBA as a foal in the year that her half-brother Verglas (Highest Honor) won the Group 3 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This transaction was sweet reward for McKay who, through Brendan Gallagher, had purchased the dam Rahaam, a daughter of Secreto (Northern Dancer), for IR20,000gns at the 1995 Goffs February Mixed Sale.

At the time of her sale Rahaam was carrying a colt, Taufan Suzuka (Taufan), and he sold that autumn for IR23,000gns, immediately putting McKay in the black. Taufan Suzuka was only a minor winner in Japan, though his three wins netted £280,000.

At three Verglas, who was also third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes as a juvenile and raced in the colours of Lady O’Reilly, finished second to Desert King in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

Originally at stud in France, Verglas subsequently moved to the Irish National Stud where, sadly, he died shortly before the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Tully a decade ago,

Verglas was bred by the Godolphin Management Co Ltd and sold as a yearling for IR26,000 to Kevin Prendergast and Frank Barry. While just short of top-class on the flat, he was bred in the purple and got off to a flying start in France. After his move to Ireland he was well supported by breeders.

Amazing tale

The story of Cassandra Go and the Stewart family has been an amazing tale, or as Trevor Stewart calls it “an emotional journey”, with many more highs than lows. However, Trevor and his wife Nora Pat can now look back on that quarter of a century history with happiness, though all was not well after the Houghton Yearling Sale of 1997, as Trevor recalls.

He bought Cassandra Go as a foal with the intention of reselling her 10 months later. Trevor reminds me that while he is listed forever in the records as the purchaser of the grey as a yearling for 200,000gns, he was also the vendor!

“That was a mistake, one that resulted in silence in my marriage for a week or so. Thankfully, subsequent events turned out for the better.

“We put her in training with Geoff Wragg and all reports on her were upbeat. Her one start at two was in the valuable Tattersalls sales race at Newmarket, and we expected her to finish in the first three. She was 16th, and we couldn’t believe it. Then I got a tap on the shoulder to say she was the second filly home and we got £25,000 for that.

“She won her maiden at three [from Musical Treat, the dam of Finsceal Beo] and was third in a listed race. She did a piece of work before the Irish 1000 Guineas which Geoff Wragg said was the fastest he had ever seen. She then finished 16th of the 17 runners.”

After that Cassandra Go reverted to sprinting, regained her winning ways and, at four, posted listed and Group 3 wins. Trevor kept her in training at five, but took out an insurance policy of sorts as he had her covered by Green Desert (Danzig). This worked the oracle and she progressed to winning the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Sandown, adding the then Group 2 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, and running second to Mozart in the Group 1 Darley July Cup.

Exemplary broodmare

In May of this year Cassandra Go presented Trevor with her 16th foal, having only four times missed having an offspring at stud. This was a filly by Night Of Thunder (Dubawi), and in a timely manner that Darley stallion sired his first European Group 1 winner at the weekend when Thundering Nights landed the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Then, as if to remind us that her legacy will continue to be felt for some time to come, this week Cassandra Go’s two-year-old son Once Upon A River (Churchill) sported Trevor Stewart’s colours as he was a highly impressive winner of his maiden at Roscommon. He, and his year older sibling Holly Golightly (Gleneagles), are both trained by Ger Lyons and the latter, already a winner, is well thought of and is hopefully stakes class.

Once Upon A River will hopefully redress about the only thing missing from the CV of Cassandra Go, that of producing a stakes-performing son. He is followed by a yearling colt by Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact), who is provisionally is set to go under the hammer at Goffs later this year.

Cassandra Go’s daughters, and granddaughters, number seven stakes winners, compared to two stakes-winning grandsons. Of that seven, four are Group or Grade 1 winners. Her Group 3 winner Theann (Rock Of Gibraltar) is the dam of Land Force (No Nay Never) who has just completed his second season at Highclere Stud, but he was eclipsed on the track by his half-sister Photo Call (Galileo), a dual Grade 1 winner who sold in 2015 for $3 million.

Tickled Pink

Another Group 3 winning daughter of Cassandra Go is Stewart’s Tickled Pink (Invincible Spirit), and she is the dam of four winners already. However, the best runner produced by Cassandra Go is Highway To Heaven (Pivotal), and she won three Group 1 races, including the classic Irish 1000 Guineas, and is one of the best broodmares in Coolmore.

Halfway To Heaven is the dam of dual Group 1 winner Rhododendron (Galileo), but even she was overshadowed on the racecourse by her year younger full-sister Magical (Galileo). Seven of her 12 victories were achieved at Group 1 level, and, with earnings of almost €5.5 million, she is the third-highest money winner ever by her sire.

Coolmore has a few daughters of Cassandra Go, including the five-year-old group-placed Fantasy (Invincible Spirit) who cost M.V. Magnier 1,600,000gns as a yearling.

Trevor paid tribute to his great friend James Hanly and all the team at Ballyhimikin Stud for their care of Cassandra Go. “She was so superbly looked after at Ballyhimikin by everyone, and she was treated like a queen. She had 16 foals and lived to a great age, 25, and that doesn’t happen without the best of care. She is buried there now.”