The Surround Stakes is the second Group 1 on the program at Randwick on Saturday as a capacity field of fillies step out with $500,000 on the line.

Randwick specialist Dame Giselle heads the betting for Team Snowden, while the Freedman stable looks a strong chance at winning the race for a second time with both La Mexicana and Forbidden Love.

All eyes will be on superstar three-year-old Away Game following a float mishap earlier in the week that has left her close to double figures.

Chris Waller, meanwhile, will be hoping Frankel filly Hungry Heart can add to her second-up record with a big run under James McDonald.

This is easily the most wide-open race of the day, and with a capacity field to choose from, you can find our 2021 Surround Stakes runner-by-runner guide below.

Montefilia

Dual Group 1 winner Montefilia returns to Randwick on Saturday, the site of her Flight Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes glory during the Spring.

David Payne’s filly was no match in the VRC Oaks ridden closer to the speed, but she does have a win on the board over this distance on debut at Newcastle last year.

She doesn’t discriminate on firm or rain-affected tracks, and providing Hugh Bowman can take her back nice and early from the wide gate, she should show her class in the closing stages.

Away Game

After opening a $7.00 chance, Away Game has drifted all the way out to $8.50, the longest price we’ve seen about the star filly in quite some time.

Her three runs to date have been fair finishing second in Listed company at Doomben, third in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast and third again in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes a fortnight ago at Randwick.

The wide barrier largely explains the current price, but she is worth monitoring after suffering an abrasion to her off-side hip following a float mishap earlier in the week.

Providing she pulls up okay, Glen Boss looks likely to settle just off the speed, and with even luck, her typical turn of foot should have her finishing close.

Dame Giselle

Dame Giselle comes out of a fast-run race first-up at Randwick that saw the star Snowden filly finish 1.5L fourth to Rocketing By in the Inglis Sprint.

Unbeaten second-up, the daughter of I Am Invincible is no doubt the horse to beat on Saturday as she slots in from an identical draw.

The three-year-old was simply sensational during the Spring scoring a hat-trick of Group 2 victories in the Shadow Stakes, Furious Stakes, and Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick.

She wasn’t disgraced concluding her prep with a fourth to Montefilia in the Flight Stakes and maps to get a perfect run off the speed under Tommy Berry.

After finishing off strongly in similar company fresh, she should be doing her best work late.

Every Rose

Every Rose has drawn the car park, although that didn’t stop her from leading all the way to take out the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes as a $21 chance a fortnight ago.

She’ll likely head straight to the front again with Tom Sherry replacing Josh Parr in the saddle, but whether she sees out the 1400m remains the big query.

The three-year-old saw off a late challenge from Never Talk in the Light Fingers, but she’s about to meet even tougher opposition this time around with the fast-finishing Montefilia and Dame Giselle in the field.

Her speed should have her in the mix, but as the price suggests, she’s an each-way chance at best.

Key Stat: Nakeeta Jane became the fifth horse to complete the Light Fingers – Surround Stakes double back in 2019.

Hungry Heart

Hungry Heart has fitness on her side as she looks to make amends for a luckless run when resuming in the Light Fingers.

The filly by Frankel was caught four wide the trip without cover before finishing off for seventh.

Another wide gate makes life tricky for James McDonald, but there is definite improvement to come based on her second-up record alone.

She won’t want it too wet, but the 1400m is a big tick.

Forbidden Love

Forbidden Love has been freshened following a luckless first-up run at the Gold Coast in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

The daughter of All Too Hard was caught four-wide at the turn and struggled for running room behind a wall of horses down the straight.

She’s worth forgiving on that effort and looks a strong bounce-back bet at odds after drawing a gate.

Never Talk

Never Talk has been the early market-mover with Ladbrokes following an impressive finish for second in the Light Fingers Stakes behind Every Rose.

Kris Lees’ three-year-old clocked an exceptional time over the final 400m and is indicating that she’ll see out the 1400m just fine on Saturday.

Lees won this race seven years ago with Thump, and he looks to have another live chance here with this lightly-raced filly.

She’s done some of her best racing on rain-affected going and rates highly as one of the key back-markers.

Vangelic

Vangelic settled on the speed first-up in the Light Fingers but failed to produce her usual turn of foot in the dying stages.

She’ll only be better for that effort though, especially out to the 1400m where she ran on to place third in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes last year behind Dame Giselle and Hungry Heart.

Well worth a though in exotics.

La Mexicana

La Mexicana has come up a treat this time in work winning first-up at Caulfield over the 1100m before adding a Group 3 win to her resume in the Kevin Hayes Stakes.

Unlike a few others, she’s got a run under her belt over this trip after narrowly missing out on another win at Sandown three runs back in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes.

Losing long-time hoop Jamie Kah is of slight concern, but she’s fit, and most importantly, handles wet tracks.

Thermosphere

Thermosphere went forward second-up in the Light Fingers and only weakened out of it in the late stages to run sixth.

She had plenty of work to do from the wide gate, so it will be interesting to see where she lands on Saturday from a much softer draw under apprentice Rachel King.

The promising Godolphin three-year-old strips fitter for two runs back from a spell and has done plenty of racing on wet going to suggest she can figure here at odds.

Elizabeel

Elizabeel is worth forgiving on her first-up run that saw her bumped around in the early stages to run fourth in the Light Fingers.

She failed to let down in the late stages of that race but does look suited here rising to the 1400m after finishing only half-a-length third to Forbidden Love at Listed level during the Spring.

Her second-up record is equally as impressive, and providing the track isn’t too wet, she’s worth including in your numbers.

Joviality

Joviality was no match first-up in the Light Fingers after settling three-wide the trip.

She was competitive against some of her rivals when fifth to Montefilia in the Flight Stakes during the Spring, but is tough to have based on recent efforts.

Philizzy

Philizzy stormed home for ninth first-up in the Light Fingers, but it was a case of too little too late for the Snitzel filly.

Her first-up run saw her only 1.5L fourth to Rocketing By, but this still looks a little beyond her.

Love Sensation

Love Sensation mixes her form, but she does look capable of running a race here despite what the odds suggest.

The Kevin Corstens-trained filly finished only a length fourth to Yulong Command at Moonee Valley first-up and was denied by a similar margin when fifth to Every Rose in the Light Fingers Stakes.

She wasn’t far away over this trip at Caulfield during the Spring finishing fifth to Instant Celebrity in the Thousand Guineas Prelude, and although she’d need to produce something special to win, a place certainly isn’t out of the question.

Miravalle

Miravalle won first-up over this trip at Warwick Farm in the Spring and appeared in good order during a recent trial at Randwick last week.

Barrier 6 should see her box-seat behind the leaders, and if the speed is on down the straight, she might be thereabouts.

Eight Diamonds

Eight Diamonds has made only the four starts to date and looks well out of her depth in a race of this quality.

She won her maiden well two runs back at Canterbury and then went on to miss the start in a Benchmark 72 at Kensington. Cannot have.

Pippali

Pippali remains the first emergency in the 2021 Surround Stakes field.

Surround Stakes Tip

Montefilia at $11.00