Shenandoah downs Camelot in Lady’s Surround Stakes
Star three-year-old fillies were on show in Saturday’s Surround Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick, and it was the ladies who fought it out once again with Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) stamping her authority over Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) in a thrilling finish.
The same quinella from the Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) on February 15 – in which Lady Shenandoah prevailed by 1.2 lengths – engaged in battle with 300 metres to go after the daughter of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) cruised to the flanks of the reigning Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) heroine coming off the home turn.
The pair got the better of the long-time leader Lilac (Justify) at the 200-metre mark, with Lady Shenandoah appearing to be going best under James McDonald, but the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Lady of Camelot showed her mettle to respond to the urges of Tim Clark and headed her rival in the final stages before ultimately being denied by just 0.3 lengths.
Lilac was edged out for third by the winner’s stablemate Lazzura (Snitzel), who was another 2.6 lengths adrift of the runner-up.
The tough win was a fourth consecutive for Lady Shenandoah, and her second at the highest level after a dominant win in the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at her final start last spring.
It marked a 110th Group 1 win for McDonald, who would ride his 111th aboard Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) one race later, and he was delighted with his filly’s different manner of victory.
“I’m rapt with her, she had to really fight it out,” McDonald said.
“Credit to Gai and Adrian’s filly [Lady Of Camelot], that was as tough as it comes. At the 100-metre mark I thought we were done and my filly pulled out all the stops.
“She’s a top-class filly. And obviously we were expected to blaze away in glory but you’ve got to have the tough victories to get the good ones as well. So that was a good effort.”
Waller was one of many on the edge of their seat at Randwick, and praised Lady Shenandoah’s show of grit against a worthy rival in the $750,000 contest.
“I could see that she had accelerated but didn’t quite clear the horses around her and then I realised it was Lady Of Camelot and she’s a Golden Slipper winner, so I knew a Waterhouse and Bott horse was going to be hard to get past,” Waller said.
“And sure enough it was. Lady Of Camelot lifted and it was good to see Lady Shenandoah fight and be dominant.”
Bott was equally pleased with Lady Of Camelot in defeat, and named the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) at Rosehill on March 15 as a likely next option for the daughter of Written Tycoon (Iglesia).
“She was excellent and really brave,” Bott said. “I thought she showed the nice improvement that we wanted to see from her first-up run. We were looking to stretch out to that sort of trip [1400 metres] to open a few more options and I think that’s important for her, that versatility.”
Bred by Arrowfield Stud and Planette Thoroughreds, Lady Shenandoah (3 f Snitzel – Star Pupil by Starcraft) was a $525,000 purchase for Hermitage Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in 2023.
She is the fifth foal and second Group 1 winner out of the winning Starcraft (Soviet Star) mare Star Pupil, whose son Stronger (Not A Single Doubt) won Hong Kong’s Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) in 2022.
Arrowfield will offer a Maurice (Screen Hero) half–brother to Lady Shenandoah as Lot 187 at next month’s Inglis Easter Sale.