Last weekend’s Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf victory by Victoria Road underlined yet again the mushrooming legacy of his excellent grandam, the King’s Stand Stakes victress Cassandra Go.
Victoria Road (IRE), ridden by Ryan Moore, wins the Juvenile Turf on Breeders’ Cup Championship Friday (Pic -Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)
The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Coolmore’s Saxon Warrior is the second Gr1 winner in quick succession descended from this blue hen, his victory following hot on the heels of stable companion Auguste Rodin, who recently closed out a scintillating juvenile season with a facile victory in the Gr.1 Futurity at Doncaster.
The first Gr1 winner for his young sire, Victoria Road is out of Cassandra Go’s daughter Tickled Pink, a dual Gr3 winner of the Abernant Stakes and Coral Charge Sprint.
Auguste Rodin is the first foal of the Galileo mare Rhododendron, a triple Gr1 winner out of Cassandra Go’s remarkable daughter Halfway To Heaven, and a full sister to the seven-time Gr1 winner Magical and the former Bush Hill stallion Flying The Flag.
The recent spate of success enjoyed by this female line must be music to the ears of Riethuiskraal owner Advocate Altus Joubert, for he now stands Flying The Flag.
We caught up with Altus, who remarked: “Flying The Flag arrived at Riethuiskraal about a month ago and has settled in well.”
To be honest, Flying The Flag has not exactly set the world on fire while standing in KZN, hence Altus elaborated on how he ended up taking the stallion: “His female line has been spectacular and it was Paul Peter who suggested I stand the horse, as he had a couple of promising youngsters. I have used him, but only sparingly.”
Interesting to note that Riethuiskraal was also home to the well-performed Gr2 winner Imperial Stride, the sire of champion sprinter Will Pays. From a pedigree perspective, Flying The Flag should nick well with daughters of Imperial Stride, who was by Indian Ridge, as is Cassandra Go.
In addition, Imperial Stride’s dam Place de l’Opera, is by Sadler’s Wells, the sire of Galileo, who just happens to be the broodmare sire of Saxon Warrior. Potent stuff.
Who knows, a change of scenery and access to a different type of mare may just swing the pendulum in the favour of this eye-catching chestnut.
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