Surrounding 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
