Australia: Truly Great a much shorter price in Ted Van Heemst Stakes

Truly Great was a 17-1 chance when he beat even-money favorite Inspirational Girl in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia, on Dec. 5 for his seventh win in his 12th start.

Saturday at Ascot, Truly Great will be the heavy favorite in the Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes at 1 5/16 miles, the top race of the day in Australia.

Truly Great, trained by the husband-and-wife team of Grant and Alana Williams, has won five of his last six starts, a span interrupted by a seventh behind Inspirational Girl in the Group 1 Railway Stakes at a mile at Ascot on Nov. 21.

A 5-year-old Australia-bred gelding by Dundeel, Truly Great has never started at 1 5/16 miles, but did win at 1 3/8 miles in his only start at the distance in July. In the Kingston Town Classic at 1 1/8 miles, Truly Great closed from sixth of 16 to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Inspirational Girl, who has won 9 of 12 career starts.

The $189,500 Ted Van Heemst Stakes drew a field of eight and is the fifth race on a nine-race program that begins at 11:07 p.m. Eastern, or 8:07 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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Trap for Fools, a 7-year-old who has won 14 of 46 starts, will be on the front, a style that led to a three-length win in the G.A. Towton Cup at 1 3/8 miles at Ascot last Saturday. Of his 14 wins, 12 have come at distances ranging from 1 1/4 miles to 1 3/8 miles. Trap for Fools was 13th in the Kingston Town Classic as a 50-1 outsider.

The distance will fit the 6-year-old mare Paddy’s Shadow, who was second by 1 1/2 lengths in the Tattersall’s Cup at 1 3/8 miles at Ascot on Nov. 28 as the 13-10 favorite. She won a minor handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Ascot in March.