Punters face a tough task in the final Group 2 Australian race of the calendar year with a small and wide-open field of six gathered for Saturday’s Ted Van Heemst Stakes 2023 in Perth.

Zoumon is one of the top hopes in Perth’s 2023 Ted Van Heemst Stakes field this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Perth Summer Racing Carnival continues at Ascot Racecourse and all but one of the runners in this season’s Group 2 $300,000 Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) is at single-figures for the win.

Current top elect heading the Ted Van Heemst Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Zoumon at $3.10.

The in-form Rachel King has the prized ride from barrier six of six on this year’s Grafton Cup – Caloundra Cup double winner.

The five-year-old son of Zoustar is looking for his first win this prep off three runs of mixed form, but has the class to overcome this diminutive line-up.

Two back he was second in the lucrative $2 million The Five Diamonds in Sydney before a run at this track unplaced in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m).

He had a wide gate 15 draw to overcome that day however with his run better than it looks on paper, and with Zoumon up to 2100m now he looks a deserving favourite.

The danger occupying the second line of Ted Van Heemst Stakes betting this summer at $3.50 is the Annabel Neasham-trained Numerian in gate two with Clint Johnston-Porter in the saddle.

It has been a long time between drinks for this now eight-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor whose last turf triumph was the Group 2 $1.2 million The Q22 (2200m) in Brisbane in June last year.

He has been competitive in plenty against much tougher rivals than these however including a fifth in the 2022 Caulfield Cup and is a Melbourne Cup performer.

This year he showed his ability with a Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) second at Flemington over the autumn and Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) second in the winter.

At his latest at Newcastle on November 18 he finished four lengths off the winner Stroke Of Luck in The Beauford (2300m), but that was a forgivable run with 62kg.

The next best in the markets are Casino Seventeen ($4.40) for star local trainers Grant & Alana Willians, and the Lou Luciani-trained Marocchino ($4.60).

Darren Mcauliffe’s rails-drawn mare The Velvet Queen ($8.50) is also being kept safe, before the field and odds are completed by the outsider Startrade ($23) for Dan Morton.

The 2023 Ted Van Heemst Stakes is set to run as Ascot Race 6 at 3:43pm (AWST) in WA on Saturday with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Ted Van Heemst Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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