Boom filly Autumn Glow will miss Surround Stakes as second Group 1 beckons for Lady Shenandoah

Trainer Chris Waller has confirmed his gun stablemates won’t clash in the Group 1 Surround Stakes on Saturday.

Autumn Glow won’t run in the Surround Stakes. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images

Boom filly Autumn Glow will miss a highly-anticipated clash with star stablemate Lady Shenandoah in Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) with trainer Chris Waller confirming the race came up “too quickly”.

Waller wanted to give Autumn Glow every chance of running at Royal Randwick but ran out of time to have the unbeaten daughter of The Autumn Son ready for the first-up assignment.

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Autumn Glow hasn’t raced since her brilliant Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes victory at Randwick in September after undergoing surgery on a bone chip.

Waller took her to the trials on Monday where she was excellent running on behind Schwarz in a 1050m heat at Randwick in a bid to get her ready for a Surround Stakes tilt.

“She did everything we asked her to do, she had a good blow after her trial on Monday and trialled brilliantly and to me she was ready to run well but how would her recovery have been after the race,” Waller said.

“I think it would have been a classic example of, yes, she ran a terrific race first-up but what about the rest of the prep so we just didn’t want to take the risk.

“Saturday is not her grand final, that’s probably as a four or five-year-old if we look after her.”

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1⃣ Schwarz
2⃣ Heat Missile
3⃣ Autumn Glow

The @JohnOSheaRacing sprinter overcomes a slow start to win a trial at Randwick on Monday. All eyes on how the @cwallerracing filly comes through her third placing with a view to the Surround Stakes. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/fSjTZtljEs

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 23, 2025

Autumn Glow was an $8 second elect for the Surround Stakes in pre-final field betting.

Waller said it’s likely Autumn Glow will now resume in the Listed $200,000 Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) on Golden Slipper day (March 22).

She could have another trial or exhibition before the race.

Champion jockey James McDonald will take over the ride on Lady Shenandoah in the Surround Stakes after suspended jockey Zac Lloyd piloted the filly in her first-up victory in the Group 2 $300,000 Light Fingers Stakes.

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Lady Shenandoah is the hot $1.70 favourite for the Surround Stakes after drawing barrier three in a final field of 15.

Waller will have a third of the field with stablemates Movin Out ($51), Lazzura ($15), Amelita ($26) and Declichy Boulevard ($26).

Tommy Berry will make his return from injury to pilot Lazzura.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott claimed last year’s Surround Stakes with Tropical Squall and will be represented by Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot ($4.60) and Dominetta ($26).

VRC Oaks runner up Powers Of Opal ($51) has drawn the outside in her return.