Dunlop still hopeful with Ouija Board
Last season’s Horse of the Year lost a shoe when finishing a disappointing seventh behind Azamour in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting.
It was reported that she also had a quarter-crack problem.
Ouija Board appeared slightly lame after being reshod and subsequent X-rays and a bone scan revealed a small stress fracture to her near-fore cannonbone.
“We haven’t retired her. We are very far from it,” Dunlop told Racing UK.
“She will be box-rested for a fortnight and then re-X-rayed and then we’ll make more of a plan about what we are going to do.
“It’s a stress fracture at the base of her cannonbone and is not career-threatening at this stage.
“Hopefully we’ll see her back later in the year. It will probably not be until the beginning of September, but who knows?
“We’ll know more in about a month’s time. Ideally if she ran in September, we’d like to run her in England.
“I haven’t had a look yet but it will be some form of trial race where she’ll probably have a penalty being a Group One winner, and then there are options, obviously like the Arc de Triomphe.”
The filly’s owner Lord Derby told the Racing Post: “Luckily, Ed Dunlop has some superb facilities at Gainsborough Stables, including a spa and swimming pool.
“These facilities, along with his wonderful staff, will help speed her recovery.
“We very much hope she will return to the racecourse later in the year but our first concern must be for our lovely filly.”
