Dettori - I ran out of track
Frankie Dettori cursed his misfortune after connections of Ouija Board had to be content with third place in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin.
The dual Classic-winning mare put up an eyecatching performance in Hong Kong but could not collar Mike De Kock’s winner Irridescence or runner-up Best Gift in an enthralling finish to the Group One contest.
Ed Dunlop’s fears about a lack of pace in the 10-furlong contest were confirmed as Dettori was forced to sit and suffer well adrift of the principals in the early exchanges.
Indeed, while De Kock’s mare, ridden by Weichong Marwing, and Best Gift fought it out at the head of affairs from the outset, Ouija Board was fourth-last at the half-way stage.
Dettori, who was replacing Kieren Fallon aboard the four-time Group-One winner, got a real tune from the 5-2 favourite thereafter, however, after switching his partner wide when short of room.
And although the Lord Derby-owned five-year-old flew in the dying strides, he could not catch Irridescence, who made virtually all – despite being temporarily headed on the run-in by fourth-placed Super Kid – to score by a head from Best Gift at odds of 5-1.
Ouija Board finished the same distance further in arrears to leave Dettori to reflect on what could have been.
“She broke slowly and didn’t have the pace to go with them early on,” he said.
“The winner had a four-length start on me and she’s made up three-and-three-quarters of that.
“At a mile and a half she would have been the winner, I just ran out of track and things didn’t go her way.
“She felt as good as ever, and I don’t see why she shouldn’t have a great season ahead of her.”
Dunlop was philosophical in defeat and is considering stepping Ouija Board back up to a mile and a half for the Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 2 or the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on July 29.
“We’ve seen this before and she’s run a great race but that’s the way the race mapped out – we’re pleased with our winnings,” he told At The Races.
“She looked as good as ever and we are very lucky still to have her.
“The next possible target is the Coronation Cup but Frankie Dettori thinks we should go for the King George.
“We’ll have a chat, see how she is, and take it from there.”
Darryll Holland was more downcast about the David Elsworth-trained Norse Dancer and blamed his last-placed finish on a slow start.
He said: “He did not attack the gate and that was that – he was in a hopeless position from then on.”
By contrast, De Kock was jubilant following Irridescence’s victory and said: “She’s quite a temperamental filly and we wouldn’t want to do too much travelling with her but we might think about Europe in the summer.
“I don’t think she’s as good as Ipi Tombe (De Kock’s Dubai Duty Free winner in 2003) but she wouldn’t be too far behind.
“That wasn’t really the plan at all,” added Weichong.
“I didn’t want to lead as I think she’s even better when she’s held up, but there was no pace so I went on.
“It’s all worked out in the end.”
