Top-Class Producer Cassandra Go Dies

Top-class producer Cassandra Go , winner of the 2001 King's Stand Stakes (G2) and dam of Classic heroine Halfway To Heaven , has died at Ballyhimikin Stud at the age of 25.

Bred by John McKay, Cassandra Go was purchased by owner Trevor Stewart for 82,000 guineas (US$144,390) as a foal through Joss Collins of the BBA. The original plan had been to resell the filly as a yearling, but when she came under the hammer at the 1997 Tattersalls Houghton Sale, Stewart bought her back for 200,000 guineas (US$339,234).

Very sad to have to say goodbye to our wonder mare Cassandra Go today. She has provided our family with great moment over the past 25 years, from winning the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot to producing a Classic winner. pic.twitter.com/mCHcOBmyJJ

— Alex Stewart (@alexstewart17) June 23, 2021

Sent into training with Geoff Wragg in Newmarket, the daughter of Indian Ridge  maintained a steady upward trajectory during the course of four seasons in training, during which time she notched six victories.

A winner over seven furlongs and listed-placed over a mile at 3, Cassandra Go really began to blossom when dropped back to the minimum trip with victories in the listed E.B.F. Lansdown Fillies' Stakes and King George Stakes (G3) during a fruitful 4-year-old season.

She returned at 5 to bag a brace of group 2s, namely the Tripleprint Temple Stakes (G2) at Sandown and the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. She signed off with a career-best effort on Racing Post Ratings when finishing runner-up to Mozart in the Darley July Cup (G1).

However, her exploits on the racecourse were just the start of something altogether more significant. She has bred nine winners, including four who have gained black type, most notably Halfway To Heaven.

The result of Cassandra Go's mating with Pivotal , Halfway To Heaven, a €450,000 (US$574,155) purchase by Demi O'Byrne, has done most to shore up her dam's legacy having won three group 1s for the Coolmore partners, namely the Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1), the Blue Square Nassau Stakes (G1), and the Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1).

Having been mated exclusively with Galileo  since joining the Coolmore broodmare band, Halfway To Heaven has developed into an exceptional producer, with her five winners headed by seven-time group 1 scorer Magical  and her champion sister Rhododendron .

Flying The Flag , a group 3-winning son of Galileo and Halfway To Heaven, now stands at Bush Hill Stud in South Africa.

Cassandra Go's brood also includes Theann , a €400,000 (US$481,880) purchase by John Magnier who ran in the colors of the Coolmore supremo's mother, Evie Stockwell.

Theann won the Cuisine de France Summer Stakes (G3) during her racing career and went on to produce dual grade 1 winner Photo Call , who was added to Katsumi Yoshida's broodmare band at $2.7 million, and the Qatar Richmond Stakes (G2) scorer Land Force , who is now on stallion duty at Highclere Stud.

Cassandra Go has also bred a number of sales ring success stories, with her Shamardal colt Chess Master selling for 1,700,000 guineas (US$2,873,315) to John Ferguson Bloodstock, while M.V. Magnier gave 1,600,000 guineas ($2,225,328) for her Invincible Spirit  filly Fantasy.

A number of Cassandra Go's progeny remain in Stewart's ownership, including the group 3-winning Tickled Pink, now the dam of four winners herself, the promising 3-year-old Gleneagles  filly Holly Golightly, her 2-year-old Churchill  colt Once Upon A River, and her 16th and final foal, who is by Night of Thunder .