Roberts praises retiring Cassandra

Michael Roberts today paid tribute to the classy sprinter Cassandra Go who has been retired by owner Trevor Stewart.

The five-year-old mare, in foal to Green Desert, gained her biggest success in the Group Two King`s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing runner-up to Mozart in the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket last Thursday.

'She was fantastic and I`ll miss her. She`s probably the best sprinter I`ve ridden over here - the fastest filly. The best memory would be winning at Royal Ascot. It gave me a lot of pleasure riding her,' Roberts said.

'It was a shame she didn`t win her last race. In a normal year she would have won the July Cup easily. Mozart is just a phenomenal horse. Honestly, I didn`t realise how good he was.'

The South African jockey partnered the Geoff Wragg-trained grey in all but one of her 17 races including all her six victories.

Connections had toyed with giving her one last race in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville next month, but she will now go to straight to the Ballyhimikin Stud in County Tipperary next week.

The daughter of Indian Ridge, who was bought for 200,000 guineas at the 1997 Tattersalls Houghton Sales, improved with age.

Unplaced on her only start as a two-year-old, she won twice at three before lifting a Listed prize at Bath and the Group Three King George Stakes at Goodwood last season. And in May, she took the Group Two Tripleprint Temple Stakes at Sandown.

Her career win and place earnings were Stg#244,592.