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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Surrounding knows where the winning post is

Sat 17th Oct 2020, 15:05

Surrounding leads home LaughifuwantSurrounding leads home Laughifuwant
© Photo Healy Racing

Surrounding brought up her 10th career victory when overwhelming the 5/4 favourite Laughifuwant in the Listed Knockaire Stakes at Leopardstown.

Laughifuwant picked off Nebo in the final quarter of a mile and Gary Carroll soon went for home.

However, he was stalked by Ronan Whelan on Surrounding and that pair outgunned Laughifuwant approaching the final furlong.

The favourite rallied on the inner in the closing stages but the seven-year-old Surrounding held the aces by half a length at 5/1. Irish Admiral (10/1) completed the placings a couple of lengths further back.

Trainer Michael Halford said: “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.”

Surrounding is aiming for a hat-trick of victories in the Listed Cooley Stakes.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

1st
5/1
Tote €5.50 €1.60
2nd
0.5L
5/4Fav
€1.02
3rd
2L
10/1
€2.20
About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.