Mission To Mars cruises in by 10,50 lengths (JC Photos)
Trainer Stuart Pettigrew and owner Willem Ackerman would have had mixed feelings at the end of the Turffontein Standside meeting today (Tuesday) as one of the latter’s imported horses excelled, while the other one disappointed.
In the third race of the day, a maiden over 1600m Pettigrew ran the Sea The Stars five-year-old gelding Mission To Mars, whom Ackerman had bought 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 went down with a pony. Stuart said aftewards the horse had not shown any reluctance to work since arriving.
He duly had the racing community buzzing on Tuesday when putting up a stirling performance in just his second visit to the racecourse.
On debut he had come from last with a storming run that saw him making up many lengths to finish second and he duly started at cramped odds of 1/3 on Tuesday after being backed in from 77/100.
He found the rail with ease from draw two and settled reasonably well in the box seat, although not perfectly.
In the straight Philasande Mxoli sat until the 400m mark before letting him go and he then accelerated smartly before galloping away to win by 10,50 length while just being ridden with the hands.
Willem revealed later that it had taken a year to get the horse to the races, so he clearly has his quirks. However, he added that the yard knew what his problems were and he said he looked to be a promising horse.
He will certainly be followed with interest by racing fans.
The next Pettigrew-trained Ackerman-owned imported horse at the meeting was the five-year-old entire Deepone, who is by the Irish-bred Deep Impact stallion Study Of Man. Deepone won his first two starts in Ireland for trainer Paddy Twomey and in his fifth start won a Gr 2 race over a mile at The Curragh. In his final start overseas he won a Listed race over seven and-a-half furlongs at Tipperary on October 5, 2025. He was purchased by Willem for 30,000 gns at a Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale.
Willem is a partner of Advocate Nigel Riley in Heversham Park Stud and Deepone could be a candidate to join the stallion ranks there at some stage.
He was running on Tuesday in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1600m and had to carry joint topweight of 60kg off an official 119 rating.
Stuart had revealed after Misson To Mars’ win that Deepone did not show the work of a 119 rated horse, but he said he was fit and expected a good race.
He had drawn well in three in the 1600m contest and clearly needed it because he pulled badly throughout in behind horses.
He duly faded out to run last but he did at least show a good action and it would not be surprising to see him run in a sprint next just to get him going in South Africa, where the pace of races is a crawl compared to what Deepone would have been used to in Ireland.
Mxolisi rode a double at the meeting, while Tony Peter and Kabelo Matsunyane had a treble together and Calvin Habib rode a double.
