It has only boasted Group 1 status for a few years but in that time, some star fillies have won the Surround Stakes.
From Shoals to Nakeeta Jane and Probabeel, each filly to have won the Surround Stakes since it turned into a top-line race has been genuinely good, and a capacity field will look to join that list on Saturday afternoon.
Check out my 2021 Surround Stakes tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 2 Units E/W #9 La Mexicana
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
She has done all of her best work in Victoria, but it is very hard to argue with La Mexicana’s form and class, and I’m putting her on top of my Surround Stakes tips.
The I Am Invincible filly was excellent during her spring prep and won the Listed Crockett Stakes before endeing her season second in the Twilight Glow.
She looks to have returned to racing an even better horse this time and is so far undefeated in 2021, having won in BM84 company and the Kevin Hayes Stakes.
As a bonus, she’ll be steered by Tom Marquand, and this really does look the perfect Group 1 target for La Mexicana.
She probably hasn’t quite been at her best this preparation, but Away Game can return another competitive effort in the Surround Stakes.
Last year’s Magic Millions Classic winner simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race, and she continued to produce high quality performances throughout 2020 and into the current calendar.
Having finished third in the Magic Millions Guineas in January, she returned from a freshen-up to fill the minors in the Light Fingers here a couple of weeks ago and will take improvement into this race – the $7.50 available at publish could very well prove over the odds.
The consistent Dame Giselle has opened a warm favourite in Surround Stakes betting, and understandably so.
Dame Giselle has been a great horse for Peter and Paul Snowden since making her debut, and she has managed to pick off plenty of good races during each preparation.
Having won each of her first three starts last prep, all in Group 2 company, the I Am Invincible filly ended her prep fourth in the Group 1 Flight Stakes, and ran home well to finish fourth, beaten less than a length and a half by Rocketing By in the Inglis Sprint when resuming.
She is the x-factor in the Surround Stakes field and while I’m sure she’ll run well and win something good this prep, I think that Montefilia will improve off whatever she does here.
The Kermadec filly enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence during the Spring Carnival, winning the Flight Stakes and backing up that performance with another win in the Spring Champion Stakes before ending her campaign third in the Oaks.
She has won at this point of her prep previously, but I think that a few of her rivals this weekend might be a little more wound up.