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Ouija Board Set For Vodafone Coronation Cup 17/05/06

Ouija Board, heroine of the 2004 Vodafone Oaks, is on course to return to Epsom Downs on Vodafone Ladies Day, Friday, June 2 and bid to become the first filly to win the £250,000 Vodafone Coronation Cup since In The Groove in 1991.

The Lord Derby-owned mare was successful by a breathtaking seven lengths in the 2004 Vodafone Oaks, run over the same course and distance as the Vodafone Coronation Cup (one mile and a half miles) as well as the 2004 Darley Irish Oaks, the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and the 2005 Hong Kong Vase.

Trainer Ed Dunlop revealed today: “Ouija Board is an intended runner in the Vodafone Coronation Cup, and will go for the race providing I am and has subsequently collected a further three Group One prizes - the 2004 Darley Irish happy with her.

“She’s been half way round the world twice for her two runs this year, in Dubai and Hong Kong, and a lot of horses will be having their first run back at Epsom Downs, but she has come out of her last race in very good condition and I am very happy with her.

“Although she hasn’t run at Epsom Downs since her impressive Oaks victory, I’m sure she will handle the track again, and we are hoping for decent ground.”

Shirocco, hero of the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Belmont Park, is also among 18 top-class horses going forward after the latest acceptance stage for the Group One contest, details of which are revealed today, Wednesday, May 17.

The Andre Fabre-trained five-year-old made an impressive return to action when successful in the Group Two StanJamesUK.com Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on May 7, when he was the facile three-and-a-half length victor. After that contest, connections nominated the Vodafone Coronation Cup as the likely target for the Monsun horse, who will be bidding to give his trainer a sixth victory in the 12-furlong contest following Saint Estephe (1986), In The Wings (1990), Apple Tree (1994), Sunshack (1995) and Swain (1996).

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, successful last year with Yeats, is set to rely on Ace, runner-up to Shirocco in last season’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, while the second Irish-trained contender is the John Oxx-trained Kastoria, a Listed winner at Navan on her latest start.

Godolphin, triumphant with Daylami (1999) and Mutafaweq (2001), has three entries remaining - 2004 Arc de Triomphe runner-up Cherry Mix, Portrayal and The Geezer, who finished second to Scorpion in the 2005 St Leger when in the care of David Elsworth.

Owner Khalid Abdulla looks to have two live chances in Day Flight and Notable Guest, who were separated by a length when first and second respectively in the Group Three Betfred Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown Park on April 28.

Other significant names going forward include Walk In The Park, runner-up behind Motivator in the 2005 Vodafone Derby, last season’s Vodafone Oaks second Something Exciting, the veteran Mubtaker and Hard Top, last season’s Great Volitigeur Stakes winner, who will be aiming to put his disappointing seasonal reappearance in the StanJamesUK.com Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket behind him.

The Vodafone Coronation Cup is run on Friday, June 2 - Vodafone Ladies Day at the Vodafone Derby Festival.

THE VODAFONE CORONATION CUP

Class 1, Group One, £250,000 Total Prize Fund, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 2, 2006. For four-year-olds and upwards. One mile, four furlongs, and about 10 yards. Weights: Colts and geldings 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed April 5, entries revealed April 12 (32 entries), forfeit stage May 16 (18 remain), £20,000 supplementary entry stage May 27, five-day-confirmation stage May 27, final declaration stage 10.00am, May 31. (Form figures from Weatherbys are correct up to and including May Monday, 15, 2006 and may not include some overseas form).

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
254432-2 ACE (IRE) 5 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Mrs Harry McCalmont Aidan O'Brien IRE
245416- ART EYES (USA) 4 Matthew Green David Elsworth
035124-3 BANDARI (IRE) 7 Hamdan Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
05010-0 CHERRY MIX (FR) 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
111212-1 DAY FLIGHT 5 Khalid Abdulla John Gosden
13621-645 ENFORCER 4 D Clarke & C Edginton Willie Muir
5/115-0 HARD TOP (IRE) 4 Ballymacoll Stud Sir Michael Stoute
16526-04 HATTAN (IRE) 4 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain
212122-1 KASTORIA (IRE) 5 H H Aga Khan John Oxx IRE
23333-(0)31 MARAAHEL (IRE) 5 Hamdan Al Maktoum Sir Michael Stoute
211104-15 MUBTAKER (USA) 9 Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning
1/11013-2 NOTABLE GUEST (USA) 5 Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute
01251-43 OUIJA BOARD 5 Lord Derby Ed Dunlop
13425/1- PORTRAYAL (USA) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
131/341-1 SHIROCCO (GER) 5 Baron Georg von Ullmann Andre Fabre FR
124536- SOMETHING EXCITING 4 Setsquare Recruitment David Elsworth
311224- THE GEEZER 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
13/220-03 WALK IN THE PARK (IRE) 4 Michael Tabor John Hammond FR

18 entries remain after May 16 forfeit stage
2 Irish-trained
2 French-trained

THE FOLLOWING HORSES WERE REMOVED AT THE MAY 16 FORFEIT STAGE: BRAHMINY KITE (USA), CROSSPEACE (IRE), GONBARDA (GER), GUADALAJARA (GER), HURRICANE RUN (IRE), INTRIGUED, NORSE DANCER (IRE), OISEAU RARE (FR), ROYAL HIGHNESS (GER), SCORPION (IRE), VALIXIR (IRE), VOL DE NUIT, WARRSAN (IRE), YEATS (IRE)