Surrounding© Photo Healy Racing
Mick Halford is confident Surrounding will not go down without a fight in the Holden Plant Rentals Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown.
The admirable mare has been performing consistently well for several months, initially on the all-weather at Dundalk, where she registered successive wins in October before finding the high-class I Can Fly too strong on her return to action in March.
A return to the turf has not halted her momentum, with her third place behind Imaging and Zihba in the Heritage Stakes at this venue a more than respectable effort — and she continued her progress when landing the Owenstown Stud Stakes at Naas on her latest outing last month.
Halford fully accepts Surrounding will need to take her game to another level to add to her tally on Thursday evening, but is nevertheless hopeful she can make her presence felt.
“She’s in great form and we’re delighted with her going into the race,” said the Doneaney-based trainer.
“Her confidence is high, but she probably does need to step up again.
“She’s rated 100 now and she has a bit to find with one or two of the horses she’s up against, but you know she’s pretty much guaranteed to run to her rating and she does like Leopardstown.”
Surrounding features in a field of nine runners, with Jim Bolger’s Flight Risk setting the standard with a rating of 110. Settle For Bay claimed Royal Ascot glory for David Marnane in the Royal Hunt Cup 12 months ago, but disappointed twice during a winter stint in Dubai and finished last of nine behind Surrounding on his return to Irish action almost three weeks ago.
Marnane said: “He’s a notoriously lazy horse at home — he was the same last year — and I just think he’s a horse who needs runs to put him right.
“We had his wind done after his last run in Dubai. He was late having the operation and late coming home and the race at Naas came up quick enough, but we felt we needed to get him going if we were going to get back to Ascot with him.
“He was only beaten nine lengths in Naas and the good thing was his wind appeared very clear afterwards, even though he had a good blow.
“Hopefully he’ll step up on that and if he’ll run through the line, I’ll be happy. We’ll see how he goes.”
The Fozzy Stack-trained Hand On Heart came within a head of making a winning reappearance in the Park Express Stakes at Naas in April and has since run well in another Group Three — finishing a close-up fourth in the Athasi Stakes at the Curragh.
“She’s in good form and I think the rain they’ve had should be in her favour,” said Stack.
“We’re happy with her and hopefully she’ll run well.”
