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Ouija Board winning at the Breeders' Cup

Let’s talk about... Brits abroad - tell us your favourite UK-trained horses who won overseas

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun April 19, 2020 · 5y ago

Sunday’s topic is Brits abroad – who have been your favourite raiders to strike overseas? Ben Linfoot kicks us off and we want your views too.

Who are your favourite UK-trained success stories overseas? Share them with us via racingfeedback@sportinglife.com and your contributions will appear at the foot of the article.

Ben Linfoot – Ouija Board

Ouija Board. When you’re talking globetrotters hailing from the UK, hers is the very first name that springs to mind.

Of her 22 career starts, eight were outside of Europe. All were Grade Ones, she won three of them and her worst finishing position was fifth. Even then, in the 2005 Japan Cup, she was only beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Her international odyssey began at the 2004 Breeders’ Cup. A brilliant winner of the Oaks at Epsom earlier that summer, she followed up that victory with a win in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh before finishing a slightly unlucky third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Supplemented at a cost of $90,000 for the gig at Lone Star Park, it had the look of a solid gamble and sure enough Ouija Board held all the aces in Texas, where she won the $1m Filly & Mare Turf under Kieren Fallon, her trademark turn of foot on display as she scored by a length and a neck.

If that was an early sign of Ed Dunlop’s boldness, an even more ambitious global campaign was to follow.

The following year Ouija Board endured a series of setbacks, including a stress fracture, that impacted her domestic campaign. Indeed, in 2005, she only ran once before September, when seventh in the Prince of Wales’s when Royal Ascot was held at York.

A Group Three win in the Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket on September 24 served as an ideal prep from some late-season globe-trotting, though, and she ended the year with a Breeders’ Cup second at Belmont Park, that Japan Cup fifth and a superb win in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin.

2005 The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase G1 - Ouija Board (占卜) - K.Fallon

She loved Hong Kong so much Dunlop sent her back just over four months later, via Nad Al Sheba, where she went for the QEII Cup over a trip two furlongs shorter than her victory in the Vase.

Frankie Dettori was on board this time, as he had been at Newmarket, but the pair didn’t break well and were left with two much to do. Still 10th in the straight, Ouija Board flew home to be beaten a head and a short head in third.

A busier English summer followed with the highlights being victories at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, her narrow victory over Alexander Goldrun in the Nassau Stakes at the latter meeting coming after a spirited and prolonged battle down the home straight.

The battle scars were deepening, but there was still time for more glory overseas.

Her third and final trip to the Breeders’ Cup saw her win the Filly & Mare Turf again, this time at Churchill Downs, while her swansong came in the Japan Cup at Tokyo, where she finished two-and-a-half lengths off the winner, Deep Impact, in third.

She was prepared to go for the Hong Kong Vase again, but was scratched the day before the race after jarring herself and connections decided to call time on her illustrious career, one that saw her win 10 gold medals and over £3.5m in prizemoney.

As a footnote, we must mention her greatest son, Australia. He could well have developed into the best horse Aidan O’Brien ever had, but was retired at three.

Still, he followed in his mother’s hoofprints by doing the Epsom-Curragh Classic double in the Derby, before being beaten a neck in the Irish Champion Stakes – just like Ouija Board was.

It’s a shame we didn’t see him at four or race beyond the UK and Ireland’s shores. If he continued the pattern of following his dam’s career, he could’ve been Ireland’s greatest export since a pint of Guinness.

2006 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Send us your views

Send your favourite UK raiders overseas memories and other contributions to racingfeedback@sportinglife.com and if you’ve any ideas for more topics you want covering over the coming days and weeks please let us know.

Feedback from readers

Sir Ivor 1968 Washington International. Trained by a genius, & ridden by a 'bum' according to the American press. The Bum won again in 69 on Karabas. When asked "when did you think you were going to win?", "about three weeks ago" was the reply. Anything but a bum was Lester!😉🤣
— John Sandys (@TheDerbywalk) April 19, 2020

Dave Parker: Horses trained in the UK that did well abroad - several come to mind. 1985 Pebbles Breeders Cup Turf great ride by Pat Eddery and brilliantly trained by Clive Britain. Pat Eddery again in the Arlington Million on Tolomeo in 1983 trained by Luca Cumani I think he was the first 3 year old to win the race

In more recent times Ouija Board who must have travelled more miles than any other horse?

Enable who is still in training who could improve her record even more, brilliantly trained by John Gosden and ridden by the Frankie Dettori who is probably the best in the world when racing unfortunately had to stop.

Also a mention for the National hunt scene - L'ami serge in 2017 French Champion hurdle - great ride by Daryl Jacobs and trained by Nicky Henderson. great performance.

Carl Tysoe: Mine are definitely Snow Fairy who went east to win in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cup and Japan twice QEII. Her first win was most impressive in Japan coming from off the pace to win easily. Conduit winning consecutive Breeders' Cup Turf races at the fantastic racecourse setting also one of my favourites especially with the American commentary.

Collier Hill trained by Alan Swinbank... Started off winning a bumper at Catterick! Unbelievable to what the gelding went on to win...
— john craggs (@darlojohnny) April 19, 2020

Dave Youngman: I have been lucky enough to experience some very memorable winning occasions racing overseas and 1995 was one of my favourite times. LAMMTARRA winning the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor ridden by Frankie Dettori, The son of Nijunski was out of Snow Bride who was a daughter of Blushing Groom and trained as a juvenile by Alex Scott until his untimely death, the colt then passed into the care of Saeed Bin Suroor. He won all of the four races he ran in and was an underated horse really, he became very difficult to get onto the gallops at the finish here at Newmarket and very often used to dig in his heels and refuse to go into a canter, former trainer Jeremy Noseda was at Godolphin stables at that time and had a lot to do with the handling of the colt and showed just how brilliant he was at handling difficult horses. I have seen many people who were excellent with difficult horses, Clive Brittain was also great, he was still with Noel Murless when I was there in my early days in racing.

Tony Harbour: One of my favourite fillies from the early nineties was SAYYEDATI trained by Clive Brittain. Winner of some big races she beat kingmambo among others for a narrow win in the 1993 prix jacques le marois. Another who finally got his day well and truly in the sun was BARATHEA trained by Luca Cumani in the breeders cup mile in 1994. Having finished second in the Guineas, fifth in the Derby and fourth in the July Cup, he brilliantly swept to a decisive victory in America.

David Chapman: As per Dave Parker I thought Pebbles win was a great night, a night that proved what we already knew that if you gave Clive Brittain the ammo then he could get the job done anywhere. Middays win for SHC in the Fillies and Mares was also wonderful as it was prob Sir Henrys last hoorah in the U.S.A - had serious illness not blighted his later life then I am sure he would of had many more, Frankel himself would surely of provided at least one night of magnificence in America. BUT for me my all time favourite abroad again goes way back to Mill Reef's destruction of the Arc field in in 1971, for a horse so small in stature he really was a giant.