- Race Date: 17th December 2022
- Race Category: Group 2
- Race Track: Ascot Racecourse
- Race Distance: 2100m
- Prize Money: $250,000
Ted Van Heemst Stakes Preview
The Ted Van Heemst Stakes is a key Group 2 horse race organised by the Perth Racing Group as part of the annual summer racing carnival. The race has a distance of 2100m and is reserved for thoroughbreds aged 3 and above with weight for age conditions.
The race was held for the first time in 1914 as the Grandstand Plate. In 1920, the race was renamed CB Cox Plates, and in 2016, it was again renamed Ted Van Heemst Stakes to honour the memory of Ted Van Heemst from the Western Australian Racing Hall of Fame. This year, the race is scheduled on 17th December at the Ascot Racecourse with a purse worth $250,000.
Ted Van Heemst Stakes Betting Tips
In the past, runners with proven performance at Perth have led the betting markets for the Ted Van Heemst, with the Kingston Town Classic, now known as the Northerly Stakes, as a key lead-up race. The race is run by many graduates from the Kingston Town, and the prominent performers from the race have performed well at the Ted Van Heemst as well. Recent winners that ran in the Kingston Town Classic include Delicacy in 2015, Pounamu in 2017, who also completed the double, Galaxy Star in 2018, and Regal Power in 2019.
Another key lead-up is the Railway Stakes. In 2013, Ihtsahymn completed the double, whereas the 2019 Ted Van winner Regal Power had won the Railway Stakes earlier. Regal Power participated again in 2021, completing the Ted Van Heemst and Northerly Stakes/Kingston Town Classic double.
Favourites and horses with a good strike rate at the Ascot have delivered at the Ted Van Heemst. The last horse to have won the race with double-digit odds was God Has Spoken in 2011, which won with odds of $14. The latest favourites to win the race include Regal Power in 2019 and 2021 and Truly Great in 2020.
Hence, looking out for locally-trained runners with a good track record at the Ascot, runners with single-digit betting odds, and key runners coming from the Northerly Stakes would serve well.
