In what might go down as one of the better finishes on the 2023 racing calendar, it was Sunshine In Paris for Annabel Neasham and Ryan Maloney taking out the Surround Stakes on Saturday.
Punters didn’t know where to look as the three-year-old fillies turned for home and at one stage you could’ve announced any of the top four as the winner with 50m to go.
The favourite In Secret cut up the inside rail with 200m to go with Hugh Bowman on board and looked to be clearing out on her main market rival Zougotcha, before the first-up Chris Waller-trained filly gave a massive second effort to give chase.
Ruthless Dame then announced herself on the scene with 100m to go and covered up the eventual winner to her inside, Sunshine In Paris, with only race caller Darren Flindell splitting the pair.
It was the latter of the two getting the best of the photo finish and getting the Group 1 victory for Sunshine In Paris who has improved through the grades the entire preparation, only breaking her maiden status back in November.
2023 Group 1 Surround Stakes – Sunshine In Paris
Going forward you’d have to imagine you can be following all of the top four with confidence regardless of what’s next.
Annabel Neasham spoke after the race and was just as shocked as the viewers after her filly got her head down in front.
“That was unbelievable.” exclaimed an overjoyed Neasham.
“She’s so small you can’t see her. I’m half speechless, she’s an unbelievable filly. Very good fillies she’s just beaten there, just so grateful to Michael and to Kelly Avison for letting me train her. She cost $90,000 from the mares sale.
“She’s just an absolute darling.”
Neasham also alluded to the disappointment of being runner-up in the Light Fingers before saying the Coolmore Classic could be a possible option moving forward.
“I’m not in shock, because I was actually disappointed she didn’t win the Light Fingers (two weeks ago),” said Neasham.
“I thought she had the ability to be the best three-year-old filly around but obviously coming here today, such good fillies In Secret, Zougotcha obviously Ciaron’s (Maher) filly (Ruthless Dame). Just seeing them fight out the finish like that was unbelievable.”
“We’ll see how she pulls up. I wonder whether the Coolmore might be a nice race for her over the 1500m at Rosehill, but she doesn’t need to do a whole lot more ever again”
Ryan Maloney spoke about the disappointment of Skirt The Law in the race prior and was keen to bounce back on Sunshine In Paris.
“I was licking my wounds after Skirt The Law,” said Maloney.
“But I was quite bullish about her prospects here because she didn’t see the winner until late the other day and she got going late, the last 50m.
“I was happy I had the two main ones (In Secret and Zougotcha) to follow and once she got that split she sprouted wings late.”
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