Trainer Chris Waller could be in for a dominant Verry Elleegant Stakes Day in Sydney on Saturday including a potential victory in the Surround Stakes 2025 where his Group 1 winning filly Lady Shenandoah is the heavily backed favourite to win second-up at Royal Randwick.

Along with saddling-up Via Sistina in the meeting’s feature, the Group 1 $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), the master horseman also plays a strong hand in the Group 1 $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) for the three-year-old fillies.

Heading the Waller contingent in this year’s Surround Stakes field is his ultra-consistent daughter of Snitzel, Lady Shenandoah, who won the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at the track last spring.

She resumed to extend her winning streak to three straight with a dominant win fresh here beating home Golden Slipper champ Lady Of Camelot by over a length in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).

Fitter for the run she looks ready to fire again with the step up in distance to suit the proven miler.

Lady Shenandoah absolutely dominates the Surround Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au at a very short but deserving quote of $1.55.

James McDonald comes aboard from the ride and is drawn to get a gun run from barrier three in the 15-horse field.

Waller chases his second Surround Stakes trophy having won back in 2021 with Hinged.

The Light Fingers Stakes meanwhile has proven the superior Surround Stakes form line to follow into the Group 1 with Nakeeta Jane (2019) the latest to do the double.

The danger and only other filly at single-figure Surround Stakes odds of $5.50 is the Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot coming off a second in the Light Fingers.

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained daughter of Written Tycoon was another winner in the Surround Stakes barrier drawn coming up trumps with gate five for jockey Tim Clark.

She is third-up now having also run second in a race at the Sunshine Coast in early January but will need to be good to turn the tables on her last start conqueror.

The market looks short on the Slipper champ who is yet to win over further than 1200m and who is also a Randwick maiden after five previous starts at the track.

Waller meanwhile saddles-up a total of five Surround Stakes fillies this year with the favourite joined in the starting line-up by the rails-drawn Lazzura ($18) who was fifth in the Flight Stakes and fourth in the Light Fingers, Amelita ($27), and Declichy Boulevard ($27).

He also had lightly raced 60/1 outsider Movin Out in the mix before her subsequent scratching from the Surround Stakes field.

Movin Out may be unwanted in the markets but this Kiwi expat brings across the Tasman some solid form having run third last time out at just her third career start in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) last November.

Other shorter priced fancies looking for an upset include Light Fingers Stakes third placegetter Lilac ($15) prepared by Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald and the Michael Freedman trained Group 1 Inglis Sires’ winner from last autumn Manaal ($17) drawn wide out in gate 13.

The Chase Surround Stakes 2025 is set to run as Randwick Race 7 at 4:00pm) on the 10-race Randwick Guineas Day card on Saturday.

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