Surrounding going for third win in Friday’s Fast-Track Qualifier at Dundalk
Ireland’s All-Weather track Dundalk stages its only Fast-Track Qualifier of the All-Weather Championships on Friday, November 13.
A maximum field of 14 has been declared for the €47,500 Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cooley Fillies & Mares Stakes (5.30pm), with the winner guaranteed a start in the Ladbrokes All-Weather Fillies & Mares Championship at Lingfield Park on Finals Day, Good Friday, April 2.
Group 3 winner Surrounding (Mick Halford/Ronan Whelan) is chasing a third success in the mile Polytrack contest, having taken the spoils in 2018 and 2019. The seven-year-old has been a wonderful servant to connections and registered her 10th win from 33 starts last time out in the Listed Knockaire Stakes at Leopardstown on October 17.
Trainer Mick Halford said: “We have been very pleased with Surrounding in the build-up to the Cooley.
“It has been a very lucky race for us and she has a nice draw in stall one. The opposition might be slightly tougher than in recent years, but our mare absolutely loves it around there.
“She is very sound and as long as she is enjoying her racing, which she clearly has been doing, the owners have been happy to let her train away.
“It was always the plan to aim her at this race in the autumn and then myself and the owners said we would have a chat about the future afterwards.”
Surrounding winning the 2019 Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cooley Fillies & Mares Stakes
Surrounding must concede upwards of 3lb to her 13 rivals, who are headed by the progressive Pearls Galore (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee). After shedding her maiden tag at Limerick in July, Pearls Galore bolted up in a handicap at Cork in August and finished second in the G3 Fairy Bridge Stakes at Gowran Park on September 2.
Joseph O’Brien, who has already sent out 107 winners at Dundalk in his short training career, saddles five runners. The pick of them on paper are A New Dawn (Shane Crosse), who has been placed in Listed contests at Galway and Gowran Park this year, and last year’s runner-up Crotchet (Declan McDonogh).
Lightly raced five-year-old Ummalnar (William Haggas/Chris Hayes) heads the two British-trained raiders. She finished third in the Listed Ladbrokes EBF Fleur De Lys Fillies’ Stakes, the opening Fast-Track Qualifier of this category, at Lingfield Park on October 29.
The British challenge is completed by Pretty In Grey (Marco Botti/Seamie Heffernan), who brings in a 100 per cent record on the All-Weather thanks to three handicap successes at Kempton Park.
Listed runner-up Auxilia (Gary Carroll) is one of three runners for Ger Lyons. She is joined by stablemates One Last Look (Donagh O’Connor) and Sh Boom (Saw Ewing).
Course and distance scorer Apricot Moon (Andy Oliver/Shane Foley), who finished seventh in the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas earlier this year, also runs.
The two reserves are Roving Mission (Willie McCreery/Leigh Roche) and Magic Chegaga (Dermot Weld/Oisin Orr).
