David Thiselton
The Stuart Pettigrew-trained imported Irish-bred Sea The Stars gelding Mission To Mars could be Betway Summer Cup bound after another easy and impressive win and this time it was in a MR 96 Handicap over the Summer Cup 2000m course and distance.
At Turffontein Standside on Saturday the gelding was having just his third career start, despite now being a six-year-old.
He was drawn two with Philasande Mxoli keeping the ride and he was backed into 5/10 favourite.
He broke well and soon found the rail.
He then settled nicely, third in line on the rail under the beautiful long rein of the underrated Mxoli.
In the straight he turned it on effortlessly and sped past the pacemaker Royal Edition while still under a tight hold.
Mxoli just had to steer him, showing him the stick and administering one reminder as he sauntered to a 3,50 length victory from Prince Of Kildare, to whom he gave 2,5kg, and the third horse was beaten 8,75 lengths.
He will likely get the maximum eight point raise for the handicap win, which will take him to a 94 merit rating.
That is still some way short of Summer Cup qualifying standard, but he has hardly come off the bit in his two wins over 1600m and 2000m respectively, following his debut over 1500m in which he came from a mile back to run second.
Pettigrew said he would get his African Horse Sickness Vaccinations now and they then had a plan for him “up until the end of November”, which was a hint that he would be targeted at the Summer Cup.
Pettigrew is a horseman of vast experience and is not one to jump the gun. He admitted the horse still had a number of hurdles in front of him and would have to prove himself good enough. However, he added that the horse was a lovely, sound type and he believed he would be even better with the sting out of the ground after the rains came.
Owner Willem Ackerman said it had been his acid test going from a maiden to a MR 96 Handicap and admitted the performance had left him excited.
For a horse who arrived with a reputation of not wanting to work and who then took over a year to get to the racecourse he appears to be remarkably professional and there is little hint of any problems other than him going down to the start with his best friend, the stable pony.
It is interesting to note that Mission To Mars is out of a mare by Jeremy, as the latter is by Danehill Dancer.
The nick between Galileo and Danehill Dancer mares is one of the world’s elite thoroughbred crosses and with Sea The Stars being a half-brother to Galileo and Danehill Dancer being the grandsire of Mission To Mars’ dam, the cross could be said to be there to some extent.
