2024 Ted Van Heemst Stakes Day Tips & Preview

Castle Road looks a smart two-year-old for Paul Jordan.

The son of Safeguard settled close to the speed before letting rip with a strong turn of foot to win by over 2.5 lengths on debut, a win that gives him a serious edge over a few of the debutants in this field.

Chris Staples sticks carrying only 0.5kg extra and another low gate should see the pair adopt similar tactics.

Happy to follow Gaspardo into his fourth start for Steve Wolfe.

This three-year-old son of Maschino should be winning a race very soon, having cashed a cheque in all three of his starts so far at Bunbury and Albany.

This is tougher up to Saturday grade, but he was strong through the line last start when forced to check across heels down the straight.

Improving with racing and drawn another inside gate, he’s worth a look each-way.

Kisses From Kelly rates highly third-up.

Holly Taylor’s five-year-old has been ultra-consistent over the last six months, capping off his winter prep with a win at Belmont over 2200m, before finding his way back into the winner’s stall over the same distance here at Ascot second-up a fortnight ago.

By Demerit, he’ll carry top weight for his efforts this time, but with Clint Johnston-Porter retaining the ride from a perfect gate, the right steer should see him hard to run down up on the speed.

Don’t mind the setup here for Duchess Of Gossip third-up.

The mare by All American is 1400m back to 1200m after racing on the flat side last start in the Jungle Dawn where she blew the start and was one-paced the entire way.

That said, her return effort first-up in the Jungle Mist was promising, finding an extra leg along the inside to run third.

In well at the weights with the 2kg claim and likely to settle and find cover around midfield, a bounce back effort could be on the cards.

Street Band has a class edge over most of these having competed at Listed level recently.

The Trevor Andrews-trained colt had excuses in both the Belgravia and Fairetha Stakes leading in, caught wide on both occasions where he was shuffled back to the tail and forced to make up ground.

Another wide gate complicates matters off a decent five-week let-up, but he gets in 1.5kg lighter thanks to the claim and is likely to appreciate the step back to 1200m.

Firmly in the corner of the old boy Numerian second-up.

The Neasham/Archibald-trainer stayer was strong late off a break in the G1 Northerly Stakes last start, drawn wide and spotting the leaders a start, before working home nicely to finish three lengths off.

He didn’t have the best of luck in tougher contests like the Doomben Cup and the Q22 earlier in the year, but he’s finally drawn a good gate with the step up 2200m also looking ideal.

Down a level carrying 59kg again, this looks the perfect race for him to strike.

Lord Gannicus can repeat the dose on a short back up from the low gate.

The Williams-trained son of Universal Ruler was huge on return from out wide, storming into the finish over the concluding stages to win by three-quarters of a length thanks to a 10/10 ride from Billy Egan.

This is slightly tougher, but we did see him win earlier in the year on a quick backup, while the barrier should see him a little closer to the speed back over 1400m.

Pro Latte has drawn awkwardly, but if she can somehow settle close to the speed she should be in the mix.

Donna Riordan’s mare is third-up following her latest effort over 1500m at Pinjarra in the Grandstand Cup, a race that saw her caught three-wide in transit after settling a long way back from the leaders.

Joseph Azzopardi has been responsible for two of her four careers wins though, and with a couple of tidy runs under her belt over shorter distances, she should be set to peak now.

Stylish Lord is first-up for Ron Stewart looking to add to his record of two wins and two placings here on his home track.

The gelding by Playing God wrapped up his winter prep beaten over six lengths in the Listed Aquanita Stakes at Belmont, a race that was potentially a bit beyond him given it was wet and he was out over 2000m.

Stepping out over 1200m now, this looks more to his liking with some good first-up form to suit, while he also appeared in great order during a recent trial.