Australian Cup hero Cascadian’s second act with Amanda Ross

A champion’s legacy

With a career spanning two continents and four Group 1 wins, Cascadian’s career highlights are remarkable. Trained by James Cummings for Godolphin, he won the 2023 and 2024 Australian Cups at Flemington, along with countless other races. His consistency at the top level was a testament to his class, accumulating over $10 million in prizemoney across his career.

Now, at the age of ten, he continues to highlight the versatility of elite racehorses beyond the track.

Finding his feet in a new discipline

Ross took on Cascadian in September 2024 as part of Godolphin’s Lifetime Care program, promoting the versatility of the thoroughbred in a second career, and, help create awareness, passion and care for the thoroughbred. From the moment he arrived, she saw glimpses of the qualities that made him such a formidable competitor.

“He walked off the Godolphin truck and was actually incredibly sensible. There was a paddock of two-year-olds running around as I led him to the stables, and he looked at them, but he didn't ruffle a feather … He doesn’t sweat the small stuff, but he is incredibly agile. He’s a real athlete, and he does have a lot of energy, so in some ways, he's very chill and very relaxed, and in other ways, he needs to use his energy.”

Training an ex-racehorse requires patience, and Ross has taken a steady approach to help him build strength and confidence in his new role. “I am taking my time with him because he is very precious. He's a very special horse, and he's been very successful at doing what he's been doing for a long time.”

“[Ex-racehorses] learn to use their body in separate bits rather than going in a straight line. I’ve introduced him to poles and mixed terrain. He really enjoys it all, and he's quite trusting and quite brave. But he has a very big stride, so teaching him to go in a smaller area and not just straight ahead has been interesting in strengthening him to do those things.”

While some racehorses struggle with the transition to a slower pace, Cascadian is embracing the challenge. “He quite likes a job, and he likes to know that he's done it right. So, if he makes a bit of a mistake, like teaching him to jump, and he knocks the rail, he gets cross with the rail, so he'll sort of squeal and kick out at the rail. He's very intelligent. Although he is quite calm in a lot of ways, he's really thinking about what's going on, and I can see that relates a lot to his racing style because he’d pop out of the barriers and sit at the back of the field and wait and bide his time.”

A special bond and what’s next

A heartwarming aspect of Cascadian’s new life is the bond Ross has formed with his former strapper, Camille. “We’ve become great friends because we both adore Cas,” she says.

“I look back on his races, and he’s just so mentally tough. I'm just so proud of him, even though I didn't have anything to do with him when he won them. I just always cry and give him the biggest hug and tell him how amazing he is.”

Cascadian, who Ross describes as very social, has a fan base that remains as loyal as ever. “People come up to me with stories of betting on him or watching him win. It’s bigger than him and me. He’s such an amazing horse.”

For now, Ross is focusing on helping him grow into his new career at his own pace. She believes he shows great potential as an eventer and an all-around thoroughbred competition horse and hopes that within a few months, he will be ready to compete in off-the-track show jumping competitions.

The ultimate goal? To find what he excels at and showcase him as a brilliant example of a racehorse thriving in a second career.

About Godolphin Lifetime Care Program

Godolphin Lifetime Care is a global initiative and for Godolphin, the focus is on finding homes for life for their retirees and setting benchmarks in the care of thoroughbreds through their full lifecycle. Externally, and with the help of their Flagbearers, promoting education, passion and care for the thoroughbred, and working with partners to celebrate and promote the thoroughbred’s versatility.