There is a Summer Cup dream riding on Mission To Mars, and that makes the eight-race TAB Turffontein Inside Track fixture on Thursday 22 October more than just another ordinary afternoon of Highveld racing.
The Stuart Pettigrew-trained gelding lines up in Race 6, a 2000m handicap, knowing that another victory would strengthen his claims for a place in the R6-million Betway Summer Cup, the Grade 1 showpiece at TAB Turffontein on Saturday 28 November.
Currently, Mission To Mars is one of only five of the 43 Summer Cup entries rated below 100, so the lightly raced son of Sea The Stars has precious little room for error if he is to force his way into the final field.
The six-year-old gelding has nevertheless done little wrong in his brief career. Partnered in each of his four starts by Philasande Mxoli, Mission To Mars has recorded two victories, a second and a third.
His debut, over 1500m, produced an eye-catching fast-finishing second before an emphatic demolition of his opposition over 1600m on the TAB Turffontein Standside course, cruising to a 10.50-length maiden romp.
Pettigrew’s charge followed that up with a convincing 3.50-length win in a similar contest when making his first post-maiden outing, beating re-opposing Prince Of Kildare, who renews rivalry on 2.5kg better terms.
Mission To Mars was unable to complete the hat-trick last time, however, going down by two lengths to Best Candidate over the same 2000m trip. Importantly, he was conceding 2.5kg to the winner and raced off an eight-point higher mark after his winning handicap debut.
Back at TAB Turffontein, albeit on the Inside Track, Mission To Mars has plenty in his favour. Drawn four, off the same mark and with the benefit of another run, he looks primed to regain the winning thread.
He is arguably the card’s standout betting proposition, and victory would be another significant step towards the Summer Cup.
Elsewhere on the card, punters looking for a potential jockey-trainer double should probably follow the partnership of Craig Zackey and Sean Tarry.
The first leg of a double for the combination comes in Race 4, where Purple Rain reverts to 1450m. This Gimmethegreenlight filly finished third over 1600m last time but that effort should not obscure the fact that she had previously filled the runner-up berth in consecutive course-and-distance appearances.
Back over the shorter 1450m trip, Purple Rain does not need to find much improvement to finally open her account. If she reproduces either effort, she should prove difficult to beat.
The second half of the Zackey-Tarry double comes in Race 7 with War Reporter, a late-maturing son of Vercingetorix. This five-year-old gelding caught the eye on his seasonal return at Hollywoodbets Greyville, finishing a fast-closing second over 1200m. He was beaten just 1.20-lengths that day on his seasonal reappearance over a distance patently short of his best, while conceding 3.5kg to the winner from a wide draw; factors which make that comeback performance all the more encouraging. His fastest 400m-to-finish sectional also underlined the strength of his finishing effort.
With that comeback run under his belt and improved fitness on his side, War Reporter looks an attractive betting proposition over a more suitable 1600m.
Zackey, meanwhile, also arrives in fine fettle. His recent purple patch included four winners at last week’s Hollywoodbets Durbanville meeting.
Clive Robinson
