Ouija Board victory points to future success

It was a performance so brimful of the talent Ed Dunlop's filly displayed as a three-year-old that talks have already opened on whether she should have yet another year at the office. Her owner, Lord Derby, will have to be on keen guard to fend off Dunlop's request to start another chapter.

The third, and perhaps most decisive, human figure in the team yesterday was Kieren Fallon, who did not allow himself to be disquieted by Ouija Board's early sluggishness. The partnership was last at one stage and progress, rapid progress, was achieved only as the field swung for home.

Ouija Board quickened stylishly to weave through the pack and accelerated away to beat Six Sense by two and three-quarter lengths, while Best Gift was three lengths away in third.

"I've ridden some seriously good fillies, like Bosra Sham and Islington and, on this evidence, she must be right up there with them," Fallon said. "The one thing which went wrong was that I had to take her back in the early stages, but I knew if I didn't get her settled she definitely wouldn't finish.

"I thought Westerner was the one to beat but I always had him covered, and when Frankie Dettori's horse [Cherry Mix] started to weaken it was just a case of getting the gaps. This filly has a lot of speed and I was confident she would accelerate if the splits came."

Thus, frustration was forgotten as Dunlop was able to erase the memories of the early campaign. "She threw a splint and then suffered a stress fracture at York," the trainer said. "She missed half the season but this has made it all worthwhile.

"I have to thank my head lad and the vets who have treated her. Without their efforts this couldn't have happened. And I must thank Teddy [Lord Derby] who said to carry on. We'll see how she is and I shall consult Teddy. Nothing is decided but I'd be surprised if she was retired just yet."

The Hong Kong Cup, the richest race on a sumptuous card led by four Group One contests, went to the odds-on and local favourite Vengeance Of Rain.

The home horse had to dig deep to hold on from the fast-finishing French filly, Pride, while Sir Michael Stoute's Maraahel was another to arrive late on the scene to claim third place.

"He is the best I've ever ridden, and I don't think I'll ever ride another one like him again," Anthony Delpech, the winning jockey, said. "Horses like him come round once in a blue moon."

Rakti's career finished in anticlimax when he could finish only 11th to Hat Trick in the Hong Kong Mile. "He had a lovely position but I didn't have the horse under me to improve on it," Philip Robinson said. "The gears just weren't there today."

The Hong Kong Sprint was another local benefit as Natural Blitz did a passable impression of his name to beat a field which included Mark Wallace's Benbaun, who was sixth home under Fallon after a tardy start.

Later in the day, the lights were dimmed in Ireland as two jumping luminaries failed to show their true wattage. War Of Attrition disappointed shockingly in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown as Hi Cloy took the honours.

Conor O'Dwyer settled the 4-5 favourite in mid-division and started to make a move towards the fourth-last fence. But he failed to display the brilliance that has seen him lower the colours of Kicking King and Rathgar Beau this season and he began to drop away going towards three out.

"Conor said he just ran flat all the way," Mouse Morris, War Of Attrition's trainer, said. "Coming here I thought we didn't have a problem, but the way the horses ran in the earlier races, we must have now."

Central House claimed the scalp of Rathgar Beau with a bold, front-running display in the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase at Cork.

Dessie Hughes's eight-year-old, the 6-4 second-favourite, was sent to the front as soon as the tapes went up and remained there throughout. Rathgar Beau, the 9-10 favourite, stayed on but could not peg back Central House, who went away again for a three-length win.

Richard Edmondson

Nap: Nagano (Plumpton 3.20)

NB: Voy Por Ustedes

(Plumpton 1.20)