Halford bags the Brownstown as Ballydoyle draws another blank

Aidan O'Brien's long 'wait' to the win the Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse continues following this year's renewal today, as the Champion Trainer and yesterday's July Cup winner was out of luck again behind Michael Halford's winner Surrounding

The Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF-sponsored event is the only meaningful race on the flat in Ireland which O'Brien has failed to win and having sent out 26 unsuccessful runners, including six runner-ups, since 1993, today sent out a 'B Team' of I Remember You (40/1, finished fourth), Fire Fly (10/1, sixth) and Gossamer Wings (14/1, seventh).

Winner Surrounding was herself bagging her first Group 3 win and having won at Listed level at Naas in May, today scored a length success, under Ronan Whelan, over Perfection

Afterwards jockey Whelan said “she's just a model of consistency.

“Arguably I got there too soon again on her and she's only actually doing what she has to. You can feel her, when she gets to the front, half park a little bit underneath you.

“I wouldn't be surprised if she had a little bit left there too. She's a filly on the up and I wouldn't be surprised if actually a better race might suit her better because they might go harder and take her into it easier.

“At the Curragh the last day I brought her over to the winner because I knew she'd battle away. The weight just caught her out the last day. It's a lot of weight in those handicaps and sometimes when you run into one they are probably a bit ahead of their mark.

“You never know what you're in against in them but in the likes of these races they're solid and what you see is what you get.”

Quotes from Gary Carson