15 MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB 14 As we celebrate the Centenary of the W.S. Cox Plate, Surround’s win as a threeyear-old filly in 1976 still stands alone and it might stay that way for a while yet. The 1976 Cox Plate was always going to be a momentous one as it coincided with a total eclipse of the Sun – Surround’s win only made it a more freakish day and one that became enshrined in the memories of anybody who attended that meeting. The course was shrouded in darkness for the entire day, which provided the perfect backdrop for the grey filly when she bounded clear of her rivals on the turn. It’s almost a given that Winx’s historic four Cox Plate wins in a row won’t be matched, and it could well be that Surround’s win in 1976 could also remain unmatched for many years. Her form during that spring is regarded as the best of all time from a three-year-old filly in Australian racing. She was undefeated in seven races and won from distances ranging from 1200m to 2500m. Her winning sequence of ten ended the following year in February. How can you put her form into a modern-day perspective? You can’t. There hasn’t been a threeyear-old filly since to rival what she did during that spring. Her first win in the spring as a three-year-old was in the Ailsa Stakes over 1200m against her own sex By Michael Manley Freakish Filly SURROUND STANDS ALONE IN COX PLATE HISTORY Jockey Peter Cook guides three-year-old filly Surround to victory in the 1976 Cox Plate 4
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