Chris Waller is poised for a potentially dominant day at Randwick, with his star filly Lady Shenandoah heavily favored to win the 2025 Surround Stakes.
Lady Shenandoah is odds-on to win the 2025 Surround Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
This Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies forms part of a stellar Verry Elleegant Stakes Day card, where Waller also has a strong hand in the feature race.
Lady Shenandoah, a daughter of Snitzel, has been in scintillating form, winning the Group 1 Flight Stakes last spring and extending her winning streak with a dominant victory in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes.
That impressive first-up performance, where she defeated Golden Slipper champion Lady Of Camelot, has propelled her to the top of the Surround Stakes betting markets at a very short $1.55 through Ladbrokes.
With James McDonald in the saddle and a favourable barrier draw, Lady Shenandoah looks set to continue her winning ways.
Waller, who won the Surround Stakes with Hinged in 2021, is aiming for his second victory in the race.
The Light Fingers Stakes has proven to be a reliable form guide for the Surround Stakes, with Nakeeta Jane being the last filly to complete the double in 2019.
Lady Of Camelot, trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, is the only other filly at single-figure Surround Stakes odds, priced at $5.50 at time of publish.
The Golden Slipper winner finished second to Lady Shenandoah in the Light Fingers Stakes and will be hoping to turn the tables this time around.
However, she faces a challenge as she is yet to win beyond 1200m and remains a Randwick maiden.
Waller has a formidable presence in the race, saddling up five fillies in total.
Lazzura, Amelita, Declichy Boulevard, and Movin Out will join Lady Shenandoah in the starting lineup.
Movin Out, despite being a long shot, brings solid form from New Zealand, having placed third in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas.
Other contenders looking to cause an upset include Lilac, who finished third in the Light Fingers Stakes, and Manaal, the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ winner.
The 2025 Surround Stakes promises to be a captivating race, with Lady Shenandoah looking to cement her status as one of the top fillies in the country.
2025 Surround Stakes Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32x11x1 | LADY SHENANDOAH | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3 | 56kg | 108 | ||
| 2 | 12x3743x22 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 5 | 56kg | 107 | ||
| 3 | 1514x313x9 | MANAAL | Michael Freedman | Jason Collett | 13 | 56kg | 100 | ||
| 4 | 313x | MOVIN OUT (NZ) | Chris Waller | Chad Schofield | 7 | 56kg | 90 | ||
| 5 | 56x434122x | POWERS OF OPAL (NZ) | John Sargent | Kerrin McEvoy | 15 | 56kg | 90 | ||
| 6 | 4x121x53 | LILAC | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Tyler Schiller | 4 | 56kg | 86 | ||
| 7 | 11x345x4 | LAZZURA | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 1 | 56kg | 82 | ||
| 8 | 16x5647x1 | MORE TERRITORIES | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Ronan Whelan | 2 | 56kg | 81 | ||
| 9 | 95x121x6 | AMELITA | Chris Waller | Reece Jones | 11 | 56kg | 78 | ||
| 10 | 2140×8 | CASTANYA | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Joshua Parr | 6 | 56kg | 76 | ||
| 11 | 8x21x322x7 | DECLICHY BOULEVARD | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 8 | 56kg | 56.5kg | 76 | |
| 12 | x1432x4142 | HUSK | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | Jay Ford | 9 | 56kg | 74 | ||
| 13 | 3x1238x | DOMINETTA | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 12 | 56kg | 74 | ||
| 14 | 51×211 | IDLE FLYER | Matthew Smith | Ashley Morgan | 10 | 56kg | 70 | ||
| 15 | 1x183x1 | ISLAND DEC | Robert & Luke Price | Regan Bayliss | 14 | 56kg | 70 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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