Midweek decision for Ouija Board
Ed Dunlop will leave it until the middle of next week before making a decision on which race dual Oaks winner Ouija Board will run in at the Breeders’ Cup.
The Newmarket trainer, celebrating his 36th birthday today, will ship Lord Derby’s filly to Lone Star Park in Texas on Monday ahead of the meeting on Saturday week.
Her options are the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf over a mile and a half and the Alberto VO5 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf over 11 furlongs.
The longer race has been nominated as her first preference and she is quoted as the 5-2 second favourite behind Kitten’s Joy (11-8) by William Hill.
Via a phone link at a press conference at Epsom today, Dunlop said: “We won’t make any decision until she is in America. I don’t think we will make a decision until Wednesday.
“She flies out on Monday. Lets hope she travels well and we will see what happens to the opposition when she gets there.
“One mustn’t forget she won over seven furlongs as a two-year-old and there were big doubts from the experts that she would stay a mile and a half going into the Oaks. She has got enough speed.
“The one disadvantage with the shorter race is the starting position, going into a bend. If she runs in the Filly & Mare Turf I think she is officially 5lb higher rated than anything in the race, and that suggests she should be favourite.
“If she gets luck in running, she will have a great chance in that race. We will see.
“Both races will be tough, but the ultimate decision will be taken by Lord Derby.”
Big-race jockey Kieren Fallon reported he was “happy” with the filly when she had her final piece of work this morning.
“She worked well and Kieren is very happy with her,” said Dunlop. “I am very happy with her. She came out of the Arc well and she worked over seven furlongs this morning.
“We may well give her a blowout on Saturday – she is a clear-winded filly and there is not a lot else to do with her. Let’s hope we have no hiccups before now and Monday when she travels.”
Ouija Board has won three of her four races this year, starting out in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket in May before winning both the English and Irish Oaks.
She did not get the best of runs when third to Bago in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on her last start on October 3.
“She lost 12 kilos in the Arc,” said Dunlop. “It is the least she has lost in a race this year and I think she is getting more mature.
“She has put that back on and gained two kilos. That is a very good sign, and she is also good in her coat as well.
“She is relatively lightly raced and hopefully she’s still in good form. Though the Breeders’ Cup is a bonus, not running in the Yorkshire Oaks has allowed us to run here. Her races have been spaced out well.”
This will be Dunlop’s fourth runner in the Breeders’ Cup.
“We have gained a lot of experience from those visits, but we realise what a tough challenge it is,” he went on. “Many champions have been there before and have been beaten and if we come away with anything, we will be thrilled.
“We will decide when we are there whether we run on Lasix or not.”
Lailani, the Dunlop-trained second favourite for the 2001 Filly & Mare Turf at Belmont, was beaten into eighth place behind Banks Hill after drawing post position 12.
The draw on the tight Lone Star Park track is again a concern for connections.
“She was always being pushed wide that day and that is always a worry. That is the one thing Kieren is worried about,” said Dunlop.
“But this filly would probably have more speed than Lailani and hopefully that will get her out of trouble if she had a draw problem to contend with.”
The trainer is proud that his Cape Cross filly is going to be the flag-bearer for a European raiding party that totals 12 horses.
He added: “I would particularly like to give praise to Lord Derby. He is putting up a lot of money to race in whichever race it will be and we are one of only a few runners from Europe.
“The key is that she gets there safe and sound and travels well.
“She has a fantastic temperament. She is so laid back and doesn’t worry about anything. She has become a little film star – she doesn’t bat an eyelid, and hopefully that will hold good for the long-term.”
William Hill bet:
Breeders’ Cup Turf: 11-8 Kitten’s Joy, 5-2 Ouija Board, 5-1 Powerscourt, 10-1 Magistretti, Star Over The Bay, 16-1 Mustanfar, 20-1 Balto Star, Sarafan, 33-1 Better Talk Now, Request For Parole, Strut The Stage.
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf: 2-1 Ouija Board (2nd pref), 11-4 Light Jig, 5-1 Riskaverse, 11-2 Wonder Again, 7-1 Yesterday, 8-1 Nebraska Tornado (2nd pref), 9-1 Moscow Burning, 10-1 Megahertz, 12-1 Film Maker, 14-1 Aubonne, Stay Forever, 16-1 Super Brand, 20-1 Katdogawn, 25-1 Shaconage.
