Ouija magic in final gallop

Trainer Ed Dunlop put the finishing touches to Ouija Board’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes preparations this morning as the filly strode out under Jamie Spencer.

The four-year-old, set to make her seasonal reappearance at York on Wednesday, enjoyed a seven-furlong spin on the Cambridge Road Polytrack in Newmarket in front of owners Lord and Lady Derby.

For Spencer, who will be Ouija Board’s jockey at the Royal Ascot meeting, the gallop provided an ideal opportunity for him to become reacquainted with the filly.

He last sat on her when she was third in a Listed race at Newmarket as a two-year-old back in 2003, having won on her previously.

Spencer was only handed the ride on Saturday after it became apparent that her regular jockey last season, Kieren Fallon, looked set to be unavailable because of his Ballydoyle commitments.

Dunlop was happy with his star’s workout today and is looking forward to her return to racing action.

He said: “I’m more than satisfied with Ouija Board’s gallop this morning. She stretched out well, and Jamie was also pleased with her.

“It was important for Jamie to ride her before her race at York and that’s another plus to take out of today.”

Dunlop did, however, reveal that there had been a minor cause for concern at the end of last week.

He said: “On Thursday, she came in and there was some pulse to her right fore-foot – she had slight bruising to the inside of her heel.

“It meant she missed a day’s work, so she swam on Friday and then cantered on Saturday. Fortunately, it appears to have been just a blip.”

He added that he would not want extremes of ground at York for his Breeders’ Cup heroine’s eagerly-anticipated first outing of the year.

Dunlop said: “She wants decent ground. If the ground was to come up very soft I would consider not running. If it’s very, very firm I wouldn’t run.

“I’m looking forward enormously to her running again but the race is not the be-all and end-all. There are other days for this filly.

“She can’t be judged on this race. If it goes disappointingly, we won’t be making any rash decisions afterwards.

“At home, though, she is showing us that she’s trained on. She looks pretty fit and well. Prior to her last gallop she was four kilos over her racing weight of last year.”

Ouija Board was last seen out over seven months ago at Lone Star Park in Texas, when she dazzled in the 11-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

On that occasion Fallon booted her home by a length and a half to complete a memorable 2004 campaign that also included victory in the English and Irish Oaks.