Surrounding (IRE)

After race at Galway Thu, 28th Jul, 2022 (1st)  She's amazing. Her enthusiasm for it and her soundness is incredible,. We've been having a very quiet year, the horses are healthy but we just didn't have that many. When I looked at the race, and she was drawn four, I thought she'd run her usual good race. Her owner unfortunately passed away during the night and I'd say she got a bit of help from somewhere. With the jockey getting a fall she got carried wide by the loose horse. I thought she was beat when Dermot's filly shot up the rail but she rallied again. Ronan gave her a great ride and she's all heart. I hope it helps lift the spirits of the Newell family a bit because Peter was a great supporter of ours and she's the best animal they bred in all their years breeding. She's very special to them and we'll have to mind her and put her first at all times. She had a great run the last day in Fairyhouse when the ground was probably a little bit faster than ideal for her. I thought the stiffer track would suit her. She's won here before and loves that hill, she just takes it on and is so game. It wasn't the biggest surprise in the world but when you're having the season we are having you need something just to change your luck. She's just incredible. We brought her back this year and they just said to me to see if I was happy with her. She was showing me all the right vibes at home. I ran her in Gowran, she finished fourth and showed she still wanted to do it. We said we'd pick a couple of races and thank God it worked out. M Halford

After race at Leopardstown Sat, 17th Oct, 2020 (1st)  She’s a wonderful mare and she loves it around here. I was a bit concerned about the ground but she’s getting older and probably able to handle it. She has been such a great servant to us. We’ll head back to Dundalk for the Cooley with her now. It’s amazing the enthusiasm she still has for it and seven furlongs or a mile is good for her. When she gets to the front she thinks she’s won. She parked up a bit when she got to the front but she travelled super. M Halford

After race at Dundalk Fri, 1st Nov, 2019 (1st)  She's a credit to herself and the people who bred her (the Newell's) because they've been game to keep her in training. You don't see too many six-year-old mares in training on the Flat,. She's obviously a very sound filly, a genuine filly, and she's just a pleasure to have around the place. For some reason she just took off this year and she never stopped improving. That's probably as good a performance as she's given all year. She's so adaptable to ride, you can do anything you like with her. Once we just land her here fit and well she does her job. She's been fantastic and it's exciting for the owners as they really enjoy their racing and take full benefit of it. I think we're going to go to Dubai with her. I think conditions out there will suit her. The way she finished out there tonight she's still fresh and has more mileage on the clock so we'll take our chance. The Balanchine would probably be a race that comes to mind, that's a Group 2. They are all fantastic races with huge prize-money. We'll get her out there and see how she takes it. I've always thought she'd be one that would love it out there from what we know about the place. She'd enjoy the sun on her back and she's easy to keep fit, so I think she'll fit in well to the team out there. We'd hope to have Simsir and Massif Central to travel with her. The plan at the moment is that the three would go. M Halford

After race at Galway Thu, 1st Aug, 2019 (1st)  She is really genuine and she has done well there to carry a 5lbs penalty up the hill so I'm delighted with her,. She's doing great all year and she's enjoying her racing and I think it gives them great confidence when they are winning. She trains herself and there is no training in her, I just keep her fresh and well. It is a great place to win a race and particularly a Listed race. Ronan is a great asset to us, keeps everything so simple and takes a lot of pressure off us. M Halford

After race at Naas Sun, 19th May, 2019 (1st)  She’s so dependable and so honest and always runs her race. We might have been a bit lucky as we had her in at Gowran but she came in season, and if she went to Gowran she probably wouldn’t have been here. It worked out well for her,. M Halford

After race at Dundalk Fri, 26th Oct, 2018 (1st)  She loves it around here and comes into her own at this time of year,. It was a good performance, everything went well, they went a nice even gallop. Shane knows her well, she's very game and picked up and galloped out strong. That's brilliant and it's terrific for the Newells who are great supporters of ours. They keep them in training and good and bad days they take them the same. They're wonderful people and they thoroughly deserve it. We'll keep going with her and see where we go from here. We'll enjoy tonight anyway. M Halford

After race at Dundalk Fri, 5th Oct, 2018 (1st)  She's game and it was a good effort with a big weight,. M Halford

After race at Fairyhouse Fri, 15th Jun, 2018 (1st)  it was a lovely race for her taking on fillies only and obviously when there is an odds-on shot you are never confident, but it was an ideal opportunity to drop her in. We had a tongue tie on her for the first time. I’m not sure if it made any difference to her but we felt that she might benefit from it. She hit the line well, and it was nice that they went a good even pace. The owners are local and are great supporters of ours and they get a great kick out of it. If we could get her some black type that would be the ultimate aim for her. M Halford

After race at Curragh Sun, 16th Jul, 2017 (1st)  I'm delighted. She got struck into behind at Limerick and we lost a lot of time with her. She's a big genuine filly,. They went very steady and that probably helped her with her fitness. Shane was probably in the right place and gave her a nice ride. She's a lightly raced filly and saves her best for the track. She's very game and we'll probably run her in another handicap. Hopefully she keeps improving. Eventually we'll take a chance one day in a Listed race as the owners have all the family. They are terrific owners. They are so patient and never put me under any pressure. M Halford

After race at Limerick Sat, 22nd Apr, 2017 (1st)  She's very green especially for one of ours and she's quite an active filly at home so we wouldn't be galloping her that much. She'll learn at the track as she goes along. That's a lovely stepping stone from Dundalk. Hopefully she'll progress into a nice little handicapper throughout the season. She did well and he (Shane Foley) had to sit and suffer and wait for gaps to open. She came on nicely from her first run and is a lovely big filly. She took plenty of time and we're lucky to have such patient owners - they gave us the time with her and their patience has paid off. She's a half-sister to Rummaging, who was a good servant for us and hopefully she'll do the same - we'll see what rating she receives now and go handicapping. M Halford