Espiona and Fangirl set for monster rematch in Surround Stakes

Fangirl wins Light Fingers
Fangirl edges out stablemate Espiona in the Light Fingers Stakes. (Lisa Grimm)

This Saturday’s Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick is shaping to be one of the highlights of the autumn as Espiona and Fangirl line up in a highly anticipated rematch.

A total of 41 three-year-old fillies have been nominated for the $500,000 feature, which boasts an impressive list of winners such as Gold Edition, More Joyous, First Seal and Probabeel.

Run a fortnight after the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), racing fans are set for yet another thrilling contest between a number of superstar fillies.

Headlining the field is Chris Waller’s pair Espiona ($2) and Fangirl ($3.50), after they finished second and first respectively in the Light Fingers at their most recent starts.

Waller also has Hinged ($17), Finepoint ($67), She’s All Class ($34) and the promising Roots ($13) nominated for the race, leaving the leading trainer with the highest amount of nominations for the Group 1 event.

James Cummings goes into the race with a potential three-pronged attack comprising Arcaded ($67), Heresy ($51) and Larkspur Run ($34), while his brother Edward Cummings is planning on starting two fillies in the race – Have Mercy ($301) and I’m Divine ($151).

Presenting as the main danger to Espiona and Fangirl is the Light Fingers third-placegetter, Jamaea ($9), who should relish getting out to 1400m.

Three fillies sit on $17 with , including Group 1 Flight Stakes winner Never Been Kissed from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott yard.

Joining Never Been Kissed from that stable are Shihonka ($34) and Tilianam ($151).

Queensland filly Startantes ($17) has earnt plenty of market respect after an eye-catching effort in the Light Fingers last time out, while fourth-placegetter Zouzarella ($17) shares the same line of betting.

Thousand Guineas winner Yearning ($34) is the sole runner from the Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes stable in what will be her first outing since the spring.

Two undefeated fillies will look to keep their records intact; the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Snapped ($34) has won her two races in Victoria, while Bjorn Baker’s Shades Of Rose ($151) was an ultra-impressive 7.65-length winner at Bathurst on February 7, smashing the 1100m track record at just her second career start.

The Surround Stakes is one of two Group 1 races to be contested at Randwick on Saturday, with the other being the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), where Think It Over, Verry Elleegant and Top Ranked headline the nominations.

Topics

Horses Fangirl
Races Surround Stakes
Racecourses Randwick

Topics: Espiona, Fangirl, featured, Randwick, Surround Stakes

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