A promising newcomer from the illustrious Cassandra Go family has emerged. Andab, a full‑brother to G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road, scored an emphatic debut victory at The Curragh on May 5 and immediately announced himself as a live Royal Ascot prospect.
With the European two‑year‑old season still in its infancy, Andab lined up in a maiden over the straight six furlongs at The Curragh. The colt, purchased for 290,000 guineas by Qatar’s Al Shaqab Racing at the 2024 Tattersalls October Sale, carried strong pedigree credentials.
Even so, he was sent off at 8‑1, respectful rather than spectacular odds and trainer Joseph O’Brien later admitted: “I’d be lying if I said we thought that he would win.”
When the gates opened, Andab broke sharply and secured a handy position. With most runners on debut, the pace was steady. As the field began to quicken in the latter stages, Dylan Browne McMonagle allowed Andab to cruise alongside the leaders on the bridle.
Passing the two‑furlong pole, Andab asserted and drew clear. From there he never looked back, ultimately defeating the runner‑up by four and three‑quarter lengths in a decisive debut success.
Carrying top weight in the field (130lb) and winning so emphatically left little room for criticism.
“He’s always been a little wayward mentally and we just wanted to get a start into him,” O’Brien said. “He needed it as he was turning into a bit of a messer at home. You’d have to be very impressed with the fashion he won and the professionalism that he showed.”
Asked about future targets, the trainer said the obvious next step would be the G3 Marble Hill Stakes over six furlongs at The Curragh in late May and added that the ultimate aim would be for the colt to line up in the G2 Coventry Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot.
“The obvious thing to do is to come back to Marble Hill. The dream would be that he might be a Coventry Stakes horse,” O’Brien noted.
The Marble Hill has long been regarded as a launch‑pad for elite performers such as Blackbeard, Fairyland and Caravaggio. Last year’s winner, Arizona Breeze, has already placed multiple times at Group 1 level. Caravaggio remains the last colt to complete the Marble Hill – Coventry double, back in 2016.
For breeder Trevor Stewart, who owns Andab in partnership with Al Shaqab, the victory was particularly gratifying. The story that began with Cassandra Go, who died in 2021 at the age of 25, is now poised to enter a compelling new chapter.
Numerous outstanding performers have appeared in recent years from the female line of Cassandra Go. Halfway To Heaven captured three Group 1 races, including the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas in 2008. Her daughter Magical won seven Group 1s, highlighted by back‑to‑back victories in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes.
Halfway to Heaven’s other daughter Rhododendron was also a three‑time Group 1 winner, and her son Auguste Rodin – the last great masterpiece of Deep Impact – took the G1 Epsom Derby and the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes before beginning stallion duties at Ireland’s Coolmore Stud in 2025.
Andab’s full brother Victoria Road is another notable performer. The Saxon Warrior colt, unlike his younger brother, required five starts to break his maiden yet proceeded to reel off four consecutive wins, culminating in victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in 2022.
During the second half of his three‑year‑old season, Victoria Road was transferred from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle to Australia after finishing ninth in the G1 Cox Plate. Transferred to Ciaron Maher, he trailed home last of seven in the G1 VRC Champions Mile at 2023 and has not raced since.
Connections report that Victoria Road is currently in training for a comeback at Maher’s Bong Bong Farm. Having completed a jump out, he is expected to reappear in a barrier trial shortly.
An intriguing element is that Aidan O’Brien contributed to Andab’s creation. In the spring of 2022 Trevor Stewart, breeder and co‑owner of Andab, was undecided as to whether to send Tickled Pink to No Nay Never or to Saxon Warrior.
Asked for advice, O’Brien unhesitatingly recommended Saxon Warrior, influenced by the burgeoning reputation of Victoria Road, then unraced but already highly regarded by the Ballydoyle staff. One year later, Andab was foaled.
Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son and trainer of Andab, believes the colt will eventually stay seven furlongs, yet for the moment six furlongs are ideal.
“I felt he had the speed to handle six furlongs first‑up, and I still believe he will stretch out to seven in time,” he said. “That view has not changed, but at present he clearly possesses six‑furlong speed.”
Winning a maiden at The Curragh in May and progressing to Royal Ascot would place Andab on the elite path for European two‑year‑olds. The aforementioned Caravaggio captured the G2 Coventry Stakes before landing the G1 Phoenix Stakes and remaining unbeaten until the G1 Commonwealth Cup the following year.
Can Andab meet those expectations? His temperament carries a degree of concern, yet his raw speed is unquestionable. Whether he can follow—perhaps surpass—his full brother Victoria Road warrants close attention.
Future Outlook: A colt who deserves a place on every European two‑year‑old watch list in 2025. ∎
