Godolphin trainer James Cummings is targeting one of the country’s latest Group 1 races early on in the autumn with the stable’s Flight Stakes winning filly Alizee on the path towards the 2018 Surround Stakes.

Group 1 winning Godolphin filly Alizee will be aimed at the recently upgraded 2018 Surround Stakes in early March next autumn. Photo: Steve Hart.

Previous a Group 2 support act on Chipping Norton Stakes Day, the Group 1 $500,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) has received an upgrade and prize money increase for the 2018 edition and runs at Royal Randwick on March 3.

It looks a nice early Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival target for well-bred Sepoy filly Alizee who is likely to kick things off on February 17 in the Group 2 $200,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at the same track.

Already a winner of over $570,000 in prize money, Alizee was last seen running third as the beaten short-priced favourite at Caulfield on October 14 in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

That followed on from her ace Sydney preparation over the spring headlined by her Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) success by over two lengths at the Randwick mile, which was Cummings’ first elite level success for Godolphin.

Cummings has welcomed a number of the stable’s top autumn hopes back to training including Alizee who he is already tipping to have a big season.

“I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her come back really strong,” he told Racing NSW.

After the Surround Stakes, Alizee could then be set for a run in either the Group 2 $200,000 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) against the boys at Rosehill Gardens on March 17 or take on the older mares in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at the same meeting.

“She’ll start in the Light Fingers and go to the Surround then I could run her in races like the Phar Lap or the Coolmore Classic,” Cummings said.

Typhoon Tracy back in 2009 was the last three-year-old filly to beat the mares in the Coolmore Classic.

To get behind Alizee over her upcoming autumn preparation at the right Sydney racing odds online, head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.