It’s fair to say that the Surround Stakes isn’t the most prestigious Group 1 race of the season, but a quality field of three-year-old fillies has been confirmed and there is always a winner to be found.
Locally trained, interstate and even international fillies will step out and it has actually led to the Surround Stakes becoming an excellent betting race in 2020, with cases to be made for more than half of the fourteen-strong field.
Surround Stakes – Winner
No. 4 Funstar – Bet Now: $3.20
I am an enormous fan of Funstar and the Surround Stakes looks both an excellent and winnable first-up assignment for her. So-far the most successful progeny of Cox Plate winner Adelaide, Funstar immediately stamped herself as a filly to follow when winning each of her first two career starts last winter. She only continued to improve with racing and as Chris Waller raised the bar, culminating in consecutive wins in the Group 2 Tea Rose and Group 1 Flight Stakes. She’s had the benefit of a couple of trials in the lead-up to this and while I think she’ll enjoy huge improvement from whatever she does do here, her class will take her a long way.
Surround Stakes – 2nd
No. 1 Flit– Bet Now: $3.70
Flit stormed home to lead a Godolphin trifecta in the Light Fingers when resuming two weeks ago and will only be better second-up and out to 1400m in the Surround Stakes. The Medaglia D’oro filly mixed her form a little in spring, but she also won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and is clearly a horse of above-average ability. Her first-up run suggested that she has returned a better horse this time and I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again on Saturday.
Surround Stakes – 3rd
No. 7 How Womantic – Bet Now: $14.00
Victorian How Womantic puts an undefeated record on the line in the Surround Stakes and looks over the odds at a double-figure quote ($14 at publish). A daughter of The Wow Signal, How Womantic won on debut at Geelong and is another filly that has continued to improve with each start and as the bar has been raised; taking out the Gold Carat at The Valley two back before making a successful transition to black type company in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes three weeks ago. This is obviously another step up in class, but I’m happy to stick with her until she gives me a reason not to.
Surround Stakes – 4th
No. 12 Emeralds – Bet Now: $16.00
Emeralds will take good improvement for her first-up effort and is another one that could prove big overs at Surround Stakes odds of $16 (at publish). The John Sargent-trained filly broke her maiden at Kembla in earlier spring and returned some decent efforts in the wake of that performance; finishing only a few lengths off the winners in both the Tea Rose and Thousand Guineas, while still clearly learning her craft. I liked the way she hit the line in the Light Fingers when resuming, and the small rise in trip will suit.
Suggested Bets
- 2 Units straight out #4 Funstar
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below