SURROUNDING looked a class apart on all fronts beforehand and was more than a class apart in the race itself as Michael Halford’s charge made it back-to-back wins in the Al Basti Equiworld Irish EBF Cooley Fillies Stakes.

A Group 3 and dual listed winner since landing this race in 2018, Surrounding was returned the 10/11 favourite under Ronan Whelan and produced a performance in keeping with her position in the market.

She scythed through the pack without coming off the bridle to lead approaching the last furlong of this mile event and she finished just under three lengths ahead of Crotchet.

At the age of six this, Peter Newell-owned mare is, remarkably, just reaching her zenith and she has earned a well merited trip to the Dubai Racing Carnival where the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes is a potential early target for her.

Surrounding will be among a team of three for Halford in Dubai, the others being Simsir and Massif Central.

JOHN McConnell put the seal on his strongest flat campaign so far by unleashing a smart juvenile in Corrienthes in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. The trainer ended the season on 12 winners, one short of his tally in 2018, but his prize money haul was his best to date and a tally of 21 seconds is also testament to how his team have performed.

The Wendy O’Leary-owned Corrienthes (18/1) produced a nice display for Rory Cleary in this five-furlong dash. He blazed a trail from a wide draw and then finished out strongly to score by three and three-quarter lengths. The son of Bated Breath is the latest winner to have emerged from the barrier trial meeting at Naas in early September where he finished second in his heat.

Corrienthes and Rory Cleary out in front in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Healy Racing

“He may end up in another jurisdiction at some stage but he handles this surface so well you wouldn’t be afraid to come back here again. He shows a lot of talent at home and six or seven furlongs is probably his trip,” stated the trainer.

Interestingly, Corrienthes posted a quicker time in his maiden than May Remain (8/1) did when landing the BetVictor-sponsored 45-65 rated handicap over the same course and distance. The four-year-old is trained by Pat Murphy for his wife Diane and was ridden by Gavin Ryan who never had to get especially animated for the four-year-old to come home a length and three-quarters ahead of Ty Rock Brandy.

LESS than a month after riding his first winner, apprentice Dylan Browne McMonagle saw his claim reduced from 10lb to 7lbs after he landed the first division of the 45-65 rated mile handicap on Crafty Hugo.

On his third start for trainer Dermot McLoughlin, the 7/1 shot came from way off the pace to record a resounding three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Alfirak. The winner could easily be adding to his tally at Dundalk this winter, and his owners, the DOCK Partnersip, include Racing TV’s Gary O’Brien.

Crafty Hugo and Dylan Brown McMonagle with Eddie Dwyer, Gary O'Brien, Dermot McLaughlin and Noel Clarke after winning \ Healy Racing

The second division of the mile handicap served up a surprise as Guiding struck at 25/1 to provide jockey Gary Halpin with his first winner since July. Shane Nolan’s charge, who won at Fairyhouse earlier in the season, was fitted with first-time cheekpieces and his sustained effort enabled him to score by a length and three-quarters.

AFTER rediscovering his form a fortnight previously, the teak-tough Geological successfully combined with apprentice Vanessa Maye once more to take his race record to 12 wins from 101 starts in a well contested six-furlong handicap.

In what was probably a career-best effort, Geological (8/1) turned in a typically resilient effort under his rider.

The Damien English stalwart set out to make all in a race of remarkable spectacle as the winner was given most to do by fellow centurion Gordon Lord Byron.

Between them the front pair had 207 career starts and they went toe-to-toe from the turn-in before the Grougha Stables-owned Geological carried the day by three-quarters of a length.

“He’s just a dream of a horse to ride,” remarked the winning rider. “Damien told me to do the exact same as the last time, and the horse is just so genuine, he keeps finding and finding.”

Another horse who looks to have developed quite an affinity for the polytrack is Sweet Dime (6/1) who made it two course and distance victories in three weeks in the mile and a half handicap. The Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old had crept up 7lb in the weights and was contesting a stronger handicap but she was more than equal to the task.

Tom Madden let the Ronchalon-owned filly unwind with a steady charge in the middle of the track and she outpointed the favourite Nimitz by a neck.

Earlier, These Days defied an absence stretching back to April to take the mile maiden for Ken Condon and Niall McCullagh. Owned and bred by Robert Ng, this 73-rated son of Acclamation had shown promise in the past and he put it all together here. These Days (5/1) led over a furlong out and he got home by a head from last year’s Debutante Stakes second Bandiuc Eile. This was his first start since being gelded.