Karangetang a hot prospect

A small field of only seven runners are carded to go to post in the second race at the Vaal today, but it’s a classy field.

This Class B contest sees the runners sporting an average merit rating of 89. Considering that it’s a Graduation Plate for maidens as well as one-time and two-time winners, it goes without saying that the majority of the field carry the burden of high expectations.

Karangetang, a two-time winner from five starts, is the highest rated at 107 and is the runner to beat.

Trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, this son of Erupt opened his career with two consecutive victories, after which he was thrown into Group 1 and Group 2 contests, where he performed amicably, but not quite as expected.

Karangetang was then gelded and obviously rested before getting his return-run in a Graduation Plate, finishing third when running out of steam late.

In his second run as a gelding, he looks hard to oppose, especially with log-leading jockey Keagan de Melo in the irons.

De Melo has already ridden 86 winners this season, 28 more than second-placed Muzi Yeni.

He also boasts a 23 percent win strike rate, much higher than any of his peers in the top 20 on the log.

Karangetang will definitely jump at very short odds, but he looks the closest to a sure thing on the card.

It’s never easy making a case for a maiden with 20 runs under his belt, but in the card opener Big Five meets a field where he can finally shed his maiden tag. The four-year-old gelding trained by Kobus Roux lines up in a Maiden Plate over 1450m.

Five runner-up finishes, as well as another six place-finishes, is proof that Big Five is not one to give up. Earning his keep, it’s time that this son of Redoute’s Promise steps up to reward connections and perhaps jockey Calvin Habib will get him out the gates quickly, and then manage to settle him from where could launch an attack.

He’s definitely worth an eachway bet, and paired with the Ashley Fortune-trained Run For Cover for a swinger.

It’s not the hottest field, as attested by Sky Velocity’s rating of 62, the highest of the five runners with a rating in the 12-strong field.

Run For Cover has finished close up in both his starts and it won’t surprise to see the pair fighting out the finish.