Dunlop slow to make predictions with Ouija Board
Trainer Ed Dunlop admitted that he is “not counting his chickens” as Ouija Board bids to follow up her Vodafone Oaks triumph in the Irish Oaks on Sunday.
Dunlop’s filly bids to emulate Ramruma in the mile-and-a-half contest after she completed the Epsom/Curragh Oaks double in 1999.
The latter, trained by Henry Cecil, was ridden by Kieren Fallon and the champion jockey will be in the plate once again in the Darley-sponsored Classic having ridden Ouija Board on both her starts this season.
After a six-length success in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket, she spread-eagled her field at Epsom winning by seven lengths from All Too Beautiful, with Punctilious a further three and a half lengths away. Both second and third will seek revenge on Sunday.
“Her wonderful attribute is that she has a great temperament and that will hold her in good stead for a long time, hopefully, she’s very laid back” Dunlop told At The Races today.
“She is odds-on favourite on Sunday and if she reproduces her Epsom form she would be expected to win.
“That said I think the second and third will be better suited to the Curragh than they were to Epsom so we could see a different result and we are certainly not counting our chickens."
