Surround Stakes
The Surround Stakes is a Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies run at Randwick at the start of the carnival.
Initiated in 1979 by the Australian Jockey Club, the Surround Stakes is named after the champion filly Surround, Australia's Racehorse of the Year in 1976-77 and the only three-year-old filly to win the WS Cox Plate.
The Surround Stakes has been run over 1400m since its inception under set weights or set weights and penalty conditions as a feature of the Chipping Norton Stakes program.
From 1979 until 2015 the Surround Stakes has traditionally been run at Warwick Farm, with the exception of transfers to Randwick in 1980, 1981, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2016-2021.
The 2024 Surround Stakes was worth $750,000.
The Surround Stakes was run as a Group 3 event from 1979 until 1985 and has been a Group 2 race from 1986 until it was upgraded in 2018 to Group 1.
The Surround Stakes is programmed to follow the G2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) and serves as a stepping stone for high class fillies preparing for the G1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).
The Light Fingers Stakes/Surround Stakes double has been completed by Office (1992), Skating (1993), Staging (1998), Gold Edition (2007), More Joyous (2010), Nakeeta Jane (2019).
The Surround Stakes/Coolmore Classic double has been won four times by Avon Angel (1985), Skating (1993), Bollinger (2003) and Regal Cheer (2006).
Last filly to do the Surround Stakes/Vinery Stud Stakes double – Savannah Success (1999). Impede the only other to win both races in 1979.
Surround Stakes/Doncaster Mile double – Skating (1993).
Probabeel won the Epsom eight months after winning the Surround on the same track beating home her regular rival Funstar in both races. She would also win a Futurity Stakes.
Fillies to do the Flight Stakes/Surround Stakes double (8) – La Caissiere, Judyann, Dashing Eagle, Lotteria, More Joyous, Streama, First Seal, Tropical Squall.
Only Streama in the last 20 years has done the Surround/Australian Oaks double.
Shoals won the first running as a Group 1 and she would then win the G1 Sangster Stakes before going on to start favourite in the Everest in the Spring but failed on the wet ground.
The furthest away Winx finished in a race was when nearly 5L back of First Seal into 5th in the 2015 Surround Stakes.
1997 winner Dashing Eagle's dam is La Caissiere who also won the race in 1984.
2003 winner Bollinger was out of Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay.
Other notable winners of the Surround Stakes include Impede, Royal Regatta, Ma Chiquita, Khaptivaan, Judyann, Glenview, Let's Hurry, Shame, Dashing Eagle, Savannah Success, Lotteria, Streama, Dear Demi, First Seal, Shoals, Probabeel and Tropical Squall.
The 2024 Surround Stakes was won by Tropical Squall from Stefi Magnetica and Tutta La Vita.