Horse Racing

Nominations for the 2011 Surround Stakes have been released to reveal an exciting field of some of the country’s best three-year-old fillies.

The 2011 Surround Stakes will take place on Warwick Farm’s Chipping Norton Stakes Day this Saturday March 5, 2011.

The Group 2 Surround Stakes will be run over 1,400 metres and will be worth $200,000 in prize money.

This year’s Surround Stakes has attracted nominations from some of the biggest names in racing, including Gai Waterhouse’s More Strawberries and Peter Snowden’s Parables.

Odds and betting information will become available for the 2011 Surround Stakes at Luxbet closer to Saturday’s race.

More Strawberries will be second-up in the 2011 Surround Stakes after finishing an honest third in the Listed Triscay Stakes, despite carrying four kilograms more than the majority of the field.

The More Than Ready filly has won two of her ten starts so far and has already accrued almost $700,000 in career prize money.

Also nominated is Gary Portelli’s Rose Of Peace, who is fresh off her first win at Hawkesbury last start.

Rose Of Peace will attempt to take the traditional path to the AJC Australian Oaks on April 16, 2011, when she runs in the 2011 Surround Stakes.

Rose Of Peace ran in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes last preparation and finished fourth behind VRC Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse.

“After she ran fourth in the Wakeful (Stakes) it was then decided to spell her straight away and bring her back for the Oaks in Sydney,” Trainer Gary Portelli said.

Also amongst the nominations are Light Fingers Stakes placegetters Red Tracer and Parables.

Chris Waller’s Red Tracer finished second in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes on February 12, while Peter Snowden’s Parables finished third.

Peter Snowden is confident in his filly is in great form for the 2011 Surround Stakes.

“She is wound-up pretty well for this race and the Surround, and then after that we’ll see what happens,” Snowden said prior to Parable’s run in the Light Fingers Stakes.

Parable’s performance in the 2011 Surround Stakes will determine just where the Lonhro filly goes to next, with her trainer already having some big name races in mind.

“Maybe the Coolmore Classic, maybe the Phar Lap Stakes, we’ll just see what happens,” Snowden said.

David Pfieffer’s Gai’s Choice, Bart Cumming’s Kim Heaven and John Thompson’s Potions are also included in the nominations.

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2011 Surround Stakes Nominations