Calla Lagoon was a surprise Betway Summer Cup scratching on the day of Second Entries today (Tuesday)
An intriguing aspect to the early part of this season was following the progress of Willem Ackerman’s two promising imports, the Irish-bred Mission To Mars (Sea The Stars) and the British-bred Calla Lagoon (New Bay), both trained by Stuart Pettigrew.
However, the 2026 Betway Summer Cup dreams of both of them have ended as they were among the three scratchings today (Tuesday), the other scratching being the Robbie Hill-trained Jazz Cafe.
Mission To Mars was the first of the Ackerman imports to make an impact and there was soon talk of the Betway Summer Cup being his target.
Ackerman bought him as an unraced “Horse Out Of Training” for 30,000 Gns at a Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale in the British Autumn of 2024.
Apparently the horse came with a reputation for not working, he has also been gelded since being purchased and he used to go down to the start at the races with a pony.
However, Stuart had revealed the horse had not shown any reluctance to work since arriving.
He set the SA racing community alight with a stirling performance in his second visit to the racecourse, winning a 1600m maiden at Turffontein Standside by 10,50 lengths.
He followed up with a 3,50 length win in a MR 96 Handicap over 2000m off an 86 merit rating.
However, after being raised to a 94, his Summer Cup aspirations then ground to a halt when he only managed third in his next two starts, both MR 96 Handicaps over 2000m … not good enough performances to earn a berth in the big race.
However, Calla Lagoon, who had been racing in Class 1 company in the UK, bringing solid form and a pedigree well suited to middle-distance racing, had kept the Summer Cup dream alive.
He was purchased for 45,000 Gns at a Tattersalls Sale and is still an entire.
After a pipe opener he won his second start in the country, a Conditions Plate over 1450m at Turffontein Inside, by 3,50 lengths off a 104 merit rating.
When he followed up by winning a strongly contested Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m at Turffontein Inside carrying 56kg he was accoded an 111 merit rating and he was suddenly the joint Summer Cup favourite at 10/1 in the Hollywoodbets ante-post market.
He was one of only four single figure-priced horses in Saturday’s Gr 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile and jumped at 13/2 odds.
Calla Lagoon jumped awkwardly and lost a length but that enabled him to cut across from draw ten and find the rail.
He was staying on well enough in the straight when hampered and thereafter he did not have much room.
His 5,40 length ninth was not a bad run at all under the circumstances.
It would be surprising if the performance was the reason for his Summer Cup scratching, as the race did not pan out well and he is also bred to go further and did finish second once in a ten furlong event in the UK.
Perhaps he picked up an issue after Saturday’s race?
At this time last year the Ackerman part-owned The Equator was ante-post favourite for the Summer Cup. The Tony Peter-trained Galileo entire, whose other owner was advocate Nigel Riley, was usurped as favourite on the day of the race by King Pelles. The Equator started 7/2 and ran a respectable 4,90 length fifth.
Ackerman stands his breeding stock at Heversham Park Stud, which he owns together with Riley, and The Equator and Calla Lagoon will likely be standing there after their careers are over.
