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Influential Producer Cassandra Go Dies

Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}-Rahaam, by Secreto), the winner of the G2 King's Stand S. and an influential producer, has died aged 25 at Ballyhimikin Stud.

Bred by John McKay, Cassandra Go was purchased by Trevor Stewart for 82,000gns as a foal through the BBA at the Tattersalls December Sale of 1996. Stewart sent her through the ring as a yearling at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, but opted to retain her at 200,000gns.

Sent into training with Geoff Wragg, Cassandra Go was soundly beaten in her lone start at two but righted that wrong with a first-out maiden victory the following April. She would win a Newmarket conditions race and picked up a listed third before the season's end, and she proved progressive at four, picking up stakes wins in the Listed Lansdown Fillies' S. and the G3 King George S. It was at five, however, that Cassandra Go truly thrived, winning the G2 Temple S. and G2 King's Stand S. before finishing second in the G1 July Cup.

Cassandra Go had been covered by Green Desert prior to her final season on the racecourse, and as a half-sister to G3 Coventry S. winner Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}), expectations must have been high heading into her second career. Cassandra Go more than delivered.

Her first foal, the Green Desert mare Neverletme Go (Ire), produced the German stakes-winning Best Regards (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), but that has been relegated to a footnote in what is a highly accomplished and sought-after line. Cassandro Go's third foal was the G3 Summer S. winner Theann (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who would subsequently produce the dual American Grade I winner Photo Call (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G2 Richmond S. winner and young sire Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never).

Theann was followed immediately by Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who has overshadowed even her elder sister's lofty accomplishments. The winner of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Sun Chariot S. and G1 Nassau S., Halfway To Heaven has gone on to even greater acclaim as a producer; after first supplying the Group 3-winning Flying The Flag (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Prix de l'Opera victress Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), she outdid herself with the remarkable six-time Group 1 winner Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Theann and Halfway To Heaven were both plucked out of Goffs yearling sales by the Coolmore partners, and that group likewise took home Cassandro Go's most recent filly to appear at public auction, the subsequently Group 3-placed Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly Fantasy (Ire) for 1.6-million gns from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017. In the interim, Cassandro Go had produced the filly Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was retained by Stewart and won the G3 Abernant S. and G3 Coral Charge S. for trainer Sir Henry Cecil-one of the great trainer's last stakes winners prior to his death–and Stewart told The Owner Breeder he has four of Cassandra Go's daughters in his care. Those include the 3-year-old Holly Golightly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), the winner of a Gowran Park maiden last month for trainer Ger Lyons, and a filly foal by Night Of Thunder born this year. Stewart also retained the mare's 2-year-old colt Once Upon A River (Ire), who was third on debut at Gowran on June 13 for Lyons. Cassandra Go has a yearling colt by Saxon Warrior (Jpn).

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Godolphin Duo Light Up Leicester

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a high-profile Godolphin auction purchase.

5.45 Leicester, Novice, £8,000, 2yo, 7f (AWT)
PRIVATE SIGNAL (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a 680,000gns purchase by Godolphin at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, bids to build on a narrow second at Doncaster earlier this month. Out of a half-sister to the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) from the family of Fame and Glory (GB), he is one of two from the Charlie Appleby stable alongside the unraced Stormy Ocean (Frankel {GB}), a 480,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate whose dam is a half to Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Al Zarooni Planning Return To Training

Mahmood Al Zarooni, who in April 2013 was banned eight years by the British Horseracing Authority after 11 horses in his care tested positive for banned anabolic steroids, is planning a return to training in the UAE with his ban having recently come to an end, Racing Post reports. Al Zarooni told that publication he will begin training from Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club in the coming weeks and expects to have 20 horses in his care.

Al Zarooni was a private trainer for Godolphin based in Newmarket at the time of his rule breach, and had won 12 Group 1s for Sheikh Mohammed in the three years he was employed by him. Al Zarooni told Racing Post he takes responsibility for the steroids scandal that engulfed him, having admitted in 2013 that he himself brought the drugs into the country, though he claims he thought he could administer them to horses that weren't racing and that he wasn't trying to enhance performance.

“I have to rebuild my reputation,” he said. “What I did was a big mistake, I learned a lot of lessons and now I have to prove myself again and show this mistake will not happen again.”

“I want to make my file white,” he added. “Many people when they hear the name Al Zarooni will think of the black mark [next to his name] because of doping horses and say, 'He's a cheater'. I want to prove I was not a cheater, I never even thought about that. It was a mistake, but my horses weren't doped for racing, it was to help them heal. Most of these horses have been through hard work and they have small problems. Some have suspensory or tendon problems and it helps them heal. That was the idea. My horses were never caught in any race because it was never anything I did when they were racing.”

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Yoshida Purchases Coeursamba, Incarville

Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm has continued his association with French-raced mares with the purchase of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary scorer Incarville (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Jour de Galop reports. Bloodstock agent Emmanuel de Seroux said the two 3-year-old fillies would remain with their respective trainers, Jean-Claude Rouget (Coeursamba) and David Smaga (Incarville), before being exported to Northern Farm in Japan at the end of their racing careers.

“Coeursamba is a Classic winner and victorious in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Incarville won the Prix Saint-Alary,” de Seroux said. “These are two excellent Group 1 fillies which correspond to the profile of the good mares bought by Katsumi Yoshida which have made the success of Northern Farm.”

Coeursamba has been campaigned this season by Adullah bin Fahad Al Attiyah, and she finished 11th in the June 20 G1 Prix de Diane in her first try beyond a mile. Incarville has thus far worn the silks of Gerard Augustin-Normand, and she finished seventh, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the Diane.

Katsumi Yoshida's brother Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, meanwhile, is listed as the new owner of Tahlie (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), who is unbeaten in three starts this season over a mile for Jean-Louis Bouchard and Gerard Augustin-Normand. Tahlie had Coeursamba back in third when winning the Apr. 22 Listed Prix du Louvre, and she most recently took the G2 Prix de Sandringham on June 6.

Gerard Larrieu, racing and bloodstock manager to Bouchard, told Jour de Galop, “The filly's career has been very well managed by Pascal Bary and the Prix de Sandringham is a great victory. Tahlie will join Roger Varian's squad.”

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